PSC recommends that dept recovers ‘irregular appointment’ costs

• Author: Sandi Kwon Hoo CHIEF REPORTER turn to page 8
• Published date: 17 September 2021
• Publication title: Diamond Fields Advertiser

A settlement agreement and arbitration award had to be awarded to two candidates who were shortlisted for the job.

The complaint was made following allegations of maladministration, nepotism and favouritism at the Northern Cape Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.

Elizabeth Manong was appointed as a senior manager on January 1, 2018. The PSC believed that she did not possess the experience or qualifications specified in the advertisement for the post.

The PSC commissioner, Anele Gxoyiya, in a report, pointed out that the position was not an entry level post where the requirements could be overlooked.

The DFA is in possession of a copy of the report.

It was discovered that the submission for Manong’s appointment was drafted on the same day as her interview, on November 20, 2107.

The PSC report stated that the competency assessments were only done on November 23, 24 and 27, 2017, pointing out that the successful candidate was chosen three days before the competency assessments were conducted.

Gxoyiya established that the successful candidate had not completed the competency test for director of sport and recreation but only for the director of cultural affairs post for which she was interviewed.

The report recommended that the executive authority should liaise with the Office of the State Attorney to lodge a court application to declare the appointment as irregular and unlawful.

“The executive authority must immediately report to the minister the particulars of the non-compliance and report to the PSC on the disciplinary steps taken.”

Gxoyiya, in the report, advised that disciplinary action should be taken against the selection and interview members, scribe and human resources for their omissions.

“The minutes to the interviews were allegedly handwritten and typed. However, the laptop crashed and the handwritten minutes were destroyed by the scribe, who indicated that it was ‘normal practice’.

“The unavailability of the minutes weighs against the Northern Cape Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s standard practice. It does not justify the destruction of important records.

“This is a contradiction of the record keeping prescripts. The department failed to adhere to the recommendation made by the MEC that the panel must consist of a female representative in senior management and active panel member and not just a scribe.

“The long list which is informed by the CVs submitted to human resources shows that another candidate had the required experience in...