Municipal HR 'dysfunctional'

Pretoria - About 28% of all municipal officials have been appointed to non-existent posts.

In Mpumalanga the figure exceeds 60% and in the Eastern Cape it is close to 40%.

This is, according to a government report on the state of local government, indicative of a totally dysfunctional system of human-resource management.

The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has, the report continues, shown up several challenges in skills development.

Personnel turnover is high, especially after elections, and politicians stick their noses into appointment procedures. As a result appointees are politically acceptable, but unable to do the work.

In future, the report recommends, specific attention must be given to creating career opportunities for officials. Minimum requirements for certain posts need to be defined, municipalities must invest in apprenticeships, as well as in training for political leaders and managers.

In order to solve some of the problems, the Public Service Commission has seemingly proposed that the service contracts of senior managers and municipal managers be extended beyond the current five years to ensure job security.

The Institute for Local Government Management of South Africa (ILGM) recommends that recruitment and appointment be totally dissociated from political office-bearers.

In many municipalities there is no working relationship between management and municipal trade unions.

This appears to be especially so in North West, the Northern Cape and the Free State, and is associated with unions' frequent railings against corruption and nepotism.

- Sake24.com

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