No+purges,+public+servants+are+told,+Brown+and+Musgrave,+B+Day



=No purges, public servants are told=


 * Karima Brown and Amy Musgrave, Business Day, Johannesburg, 1 February 2008**

Senior public servants in the government have accepted that change within the state is inevitable, given the two centres of power between the government and the African National Congress (ANC) following Jacob Zuma’s victory.

However, officials moved yesterday to allay fears that there would be a wholesale purge that would affect service delivery in the lead-up to a change of guard in next year’s general election.

While there was an appreciation that there would be change, officials have cautioned against blowing up the matter, given that it is taking place within the ruling party.

There is mounting concern that the ascendency of Zuma and his supporters could result in purges across all three spheres of government, a move that will have a negative effect on the state’s ability to deliver basic services. This week saw a vote of no confidence in the mayor of Rustenburg, Matthew Wolmarans, after he allegedly fell victim to supporters of Zuma. In the run-up to the ANC’s elective conference, Wolmarans publicly endorsed President Thabo Mbeki.

Many fear the lack of experience in government of the party’s new guard will erode the institutional memory, and affect the incoming government’s ability to continue the government’s programme of action.

But the new party leadership has defended some of these changes, such as the appointment of parliamentary speaker Baleka Mbete as the new head of the party’s political committee and changes in its caucus, as ways to create synergy between the ANC and state.

Both the government and the ANC fear that different factions will spend their time trying to outmanoeuvre each other, neglecting much-needed implementation of the government’s programme of action.

The ANC’s list process to elect its new batch of deployments in government gets under way in the middle of the year. It is likely to erode attempts at co-operation between the two centres of power and could cause instability.

In an effort by the government to take on board the ANC’s five-year programme, the state has agreed to prioritise at least six issues identified by the party. These include integrating the Scorpions with the South African Police Service, and making 60% of school fees free by next year. President Thabo Mbeki will make his state of the nation address next Friday, when he is expected to announce plans on these matters as well as other challenges.

The revamping of the country’s criminal justice system received much attention last year, and suggestions being considered include introducing a “super minister” to co-ordinate efforts to streamline the ministries that fall into this cluster.


 * From: http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/TarkArticle.aspx?ID=3134171**

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