Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana on Thursday blasted a report by the Public Service Commission (PSC), saying it was ”misleading the public” by not disclosing that he had demanded performance assessments from his top management.
The Pretoria News on Thursday reported that a damning report on performance management by the PSC had implicated Mdladlana, Minister of Home Affairs Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour.
”If we look at the report, what we are saying is that performance management is inadequate in these departments,” PSC director general Odette Ramsingh told Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts.
”If performance management is not happening at this level, there are alarm bells in terms of what is happening beyond these levels,” he added.
Addressing the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union national congress, Mdladlana, however, said he did demand performance assessments from then-director general Rams Ramashia.
”When I raised this matter, I was told that my leadership style was wrong and that the reason I insisted on performance assessments was because of the fact that I am Xhosa and Ramashia is Sotho,” he told delegates.
”I agree with the Pretoria News that many of the [senior managers] sign performance assessments but no one goes back to check that they do what they said they would do,” he added.
He said that if urgent action is needed he is prepared to do it.
”If heads must roll … so be it. If we have to fire people, we would do so and employ some of you here,” he said. — Sapa