What is the impact of party politics on the machinery of state? Mmanaledi Mataboge considers the impact on the Presidency, the 2010 Soccer World Cup and the Gautrain
With the unexpected expulsion of former president Thabo Mbeki, the ANC was caught without a transitional plan in place. This affects many departments and appears to have caused instability in the senior ranks of the public service where directors general and other top bureaucrats have started dusting off CVs in anticipation of an overhaul.
Where government has successfully devolved authority to technocrats, big projects and plans will continue unhindered.
Presidency
The Presidency has felt the tremors of change most acutely. All its top political heads have changed in the past two months: there is a new president, deputy president and minister in the office of the presidency.
Despite the new appointees ”inheriting” their predecessors’ diaries, there is a lot of uncertainty at the Union Buildings, mainly about what to do, how to do it and when to do it, said staff. This is because President Kgalema Motlanthe, Deputy President Baleka Mbete and the Minister in the Presidency Manto Tshabalala-Msimang still need to acquaint themselves with some projects and with their daily responsibilities.
Insiders say that there is a ”noticeable distance between the old and the new staff and uncertainty about how to approach and work with the new people”.
At least one big project has been delayed following the Cabinet changes. The government’s ”Towards an anti-poverty strategy for South Africa” plan was supposed to be launched at Nedlac on Friday September 19, a day before Thabo Mbeki was recalled.
The launch was delayed because Phumzile Mlambo-Nquka, who was in charge of the project, resigned from the deputy presidency position shortly after Mbeki was recalled. ”It’s a courtesy to put all the staff in front of them and say: ‘this is what we’re doing, we’re doing it in your name’. They should see if they’re happy with it,” said a staff member. The anti-poverty strategy was meant to get government and civil society to work together to address issues linked to poverty.
The Presidency spokesperson, Thabang Chiloane, said the delay would not affect provincial launches. ”It’s only fair that when someone new comes, they must be given a chance to learn the ropes.” Political principals are allowed to bring their own staff, including a private secretary and a spokesperson and that contributes to tension.
2010 World Cup
The recent resignations fuelled speculation that South Africa might lose the plot on 2010 preparations, but there is no reason to panic, say those who follow the preparations carefully.
The editorial director of Kick Off magazine, Richard Maguire, says he does not think that the changes in government will impact on 2010. ”It’s teamwork and one individual does not break or make it.” But it’s been a blow to lose former deputy finance minister Jabu Moleketi who was a great ambassador for the football extravaganza, says Maguire.
The politicians who are in charge of the preparations include ÂTshabalala-Msimang (marketing and communications) Provincial and Local Government Minister Sicelo Shiceka (host cities) and the Deputy Foreign Minister Sue van der Merwe. The temporary money man who has taken over from Moleketi is treasury Director General Lesetja Kganyago.
Gautrain
While former premier and now opposition frontman Mbhazima Shilowa was the face of the R25-billion Gautrain, the project will continue apace because government has allowed authority to be vested in the technocrats.
James Stewart, the DA transport spokesperson in Gauteng, does not foresee any problems with the project because contractors, and not politicians, are handling its day-to-day running.
The chief executive of the Gautrain management agency (GMA), Jack van der Merwe, says because the train is run as a public-private partnership managed by GMA, there will be no impact on the project or its deadlines.
The high-speed train was called the ”Shilowa Express” in recognition of the amount of support and direction that Shilowa gave the project, says Van der Merwe. But the branding of the project, from a government’s perspective, has always been ”Gautrain — for people on the move” and it will not change.
Judith February of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa says: ”I think it was inevitable that there’ll be a slowdown and some tension. It’s a very tricky interregnum; President Motlanthe has to steer the ship carefully.”