/ 31 January 2008

DA: More than 40 000 posts vacant in govt departments

A vacancy rate of 10,4%, or 40 594 posts, in all 29 government departments was a disaster in waiting, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said in Cape Town on Thursday.

”We don’t want a similar situation like we had with Eskom,” said party spokesperson on labour Anchen Dreyer.

Of the 204 039 highly skilled posts available, 12,9%, or 26 257, were vacant — 200 more than in 2006, according to a DA report on public-sector vacancies.

”What’s very clear is the fact that the more skilled the position, the more government struggles to fill it and retain people in those positions,” said Dreyer.

The party attributed the vacancies to a ”failing education system” and poor management and bad administration by the Public Service Commission and the Department of Public Service and Administration.

The biggest vacancies, for both skilled and less skilled posts, were in the departments of sport and recreation (45,9%), transport (40,8$) and communications (37,7%).

The figures were obtained from the departments’ annual reports and parliamentary portfolio committee documents, the DA said. — Sapa