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Cape Town - Government is to go head-hunting in India for experts to help plug gaps in the skills-strapped public service.
A team tasked with identifying suitable Indian engineers, teachers and IT experts, among others, will visit that country from November 12 to 15, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi told a media briefing at parliament on Thursday.
"The initiative is part of a larger one looking at human resource development needs in South Africa," she said.
The visit would focus on mentoring programmes, training programmes, short-term exchange programmes, and "secondment of experienced Indian civil servants to build management capacity and transfer skills".
A second phase would see "a more comprehensive recruitment of technical skills from India".
Asked to define the skills sought, Fraser-Moleketi told journalists these included financial managers, engineers, teachers, IT experts, and certain health professionals.
"With local government we are looking at areas of financial management, and at bringing expertise in that area.
Mentoring
"We're also looking for support to municipal managers, and... secondments for short periods by Indian experts... with a clear focus on skills transfer."
Fraser-Moleketi said the team visiting India - which she will head - would also look for engineers capable of mentoring South African graduates, but her department was still "refining the numbers" required.
Another area being looked at was education.
"Mathematics and science teachers are among those under consideration, but... these should be seen in collaboration with broader initiatives that are taking place," she said.
The department of communications had also identified areas where skills were needed, "ranging from soft and hardware developers and so on".
There was also going to a "very particular focus" on health professionals.
"I want to emphasise the fact that what we are looking at is a short-term measure while we roll-out some of the larger and more extensive longer-term plans to deal... with the whole issue of human resources in South Africa as a whole," Fraser-Moleketi said.