The vacancy rate in the Presidency, which comprises the offices of President Thabo Mbeki, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad, is 25% and staff turnover stands at 13,5%.
This is according to figures released in the annual report of the Presidency, which was made public at a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday.
CEO for the Presidency Trevor Fowler said the high turnover was a result of public-service salary structures, which could not compete with those in the private sector, Business Day reported on Tuesday.
The problem was also found in the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and at municipalities.
Officials spoke this year of vacancy rates as high as 50% in some provinces, citing this as one of the main reasons for delivery blockages.
Reasons for the Presidency’s vacancy rate include insufficient accommodation, appointees not meeting security requirements and insufficient clearance processes by the National Intelligence Agency.
The annual report said: ”The process takes excessively long to complete, and often people who were offered posts may well have accepted other appointments, which resulted in the Presidency having to start the process from scratch.”
Fowler told reporters the government was initiating measures to address staffing issues. – Sapa