‘I’m No Longer Applying Straight’ Human Resource Practices in State Institutions: perspectives of public servants

The report examines the 'political-administrative interface' in South Africa, arguing that while political deployment was a post-apartheid imperative for transformation, it has evolved into a system of clientelism and patronage. Through interviews with public servants in local, provincial, and national government, the authors illustrate how political interference—often driven by factionalism within the ANC—leads to institutional instability, the appointment of incompetent officials, and severe psychological trauma for employees. The document concludes by recommending a shift toward professionalisation, including strengthening the oversight powers of the Public Service Commission and limiting the HR authority of political executives to senior-most positions.

• Post-apartheid legislation and ANC policy explicitly allowed for political deployment to transform a bureaucracy previously structured to serve white minority interests, leading to the decentralisation of appointment powers from a central authority to political Executive Authorities (EAs).
• The devolution of HR functions and the policy of cadre deployment have resulted in 'perverse results' as the ANC fragmented, leading to appointments based on patronage rather than competence and high turnover in the Senior Management Service (SMS).
• In many municipalities, Regional Executive Committees (RECs) of the ANC exert undue influence over the appointment of municipal administrators and the distribution of tenders, often treating government positions as resources for political networks.
• Political interference in HR practices creates a toxic work environment characterized by bullying, isolation, and severe psychological distress, with some officials reporting mental health crises and burnout.
• Irregular appointments are often 'regularised' through fraudulent means, such as the misuse of contract positions or horizontal transfers, to bypass Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) regulations.
• The report identifies a 'compliance mentality' among public servants, where fear of political retribution leads many to avoid challenging injustices or reporting impropriety, as internal HR departments are often marginalised and powerless.
• There is a broad consensus among interviewed officials that political influence in appointments is legitimate if based on competence and strategic alignment, but destructive when driven by personalistic clientelism.
• The authors recommend strengthening the Public Service Commission (PSC) to return it to a more interventionist role in recruitment and promotion, and amending the Public Service Act to limit the HR powers of political heads to positions above the Deputy Director-General level.

APA

Pearson, J., & Ndlovu, T. (2018). ‘I’m No Longer Applying Straight’ Human Resource Practices in State Institutions: perspectives of public servants. Public Affairs Research Institute. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20180727_AppointmentsStateInstitutions_PearsonNdlovu_Working-Paper.pdf

Chicago

Pearson, Joel, and Thatshisiwe Ndlovu. ‘I’m No Longer Applying Straight’ Human Resource Practices in State Institutions: perspectives of public servants. Public Affairs Research Institute, 2018. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20180727_AppointmentsStateInstitutions_PearsonNdlovu_Working-Paper.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pearson |first1=Joel |last2=Ndlovu |first2=Thatshisiwe |title=‘I’m No Longer Applying Straight’ Human Resource Practices in State Institutions: perspectives of public servants |publisher=Public Affairs Research Institute |date=6 July 2018 |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20180727_AppointmentsStateInstitutions_PearsonNdlovu_Working-Paper.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pearson2018longer, author = {Pearson, Joel and Ndlovu, Thatshisiwe}, title = {{‘I’m No Longer Applying Straight’ Human Resource Practices in State Institutions: perspectives of public servants}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2018}, month = jul, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20180727_AppointmentsStateInstitutions_PearsonNdlovu_Working-Paper.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }