While it was easy to understand the desire to pack departments and parastatals with trusted allies after 1994, when there was still a fear that old-order bureaucrats would sabotage the new government, the policy has, with some notable exceptions, been doubly destructive. It led to an exodus of solid bureaucrats who were replaced with deployees who were at best underqualified and inexperienced, at worst corrupt. Good staff who join the public service often either quit in disgust or get lured into the private sector. Professional civil servants can be forgiven for thinking there is no point in being ambitious. As a result, vacancy rates have soared and service delivery has suffered. While it was easy to understand the desire to pack departments and parastatals with trusted allies after 1994, when there was still a fear that old-order bureaucrats would sabotage the new government, the policy has, with some notable exceptions, been doubly destructive. It led to an exodus of solid bureau...
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