The DDG: Just Another ANC Cadre Deployment

The DDG of Fisheries, Ms Greta Apelgren-Nakardien, admitted on South Africa's Carte Blanche programme this evening that she is just another ANC cadre deployment. She made two profound admissions which confirm that she is not only wholly unsuitable for this highly skilled position but her very employment as DDG may very well be unlawful and thus invalid. 

Ms Apelgren-Nakardien admitted that she was essentially given the job! It does not appear that she was interviewed for the job or that she even submitted a CV. South African civil service employment regulations require that not only should employees at this level be professionally qualified (which the DDG is not) but that proper and fair employment processes be followed. In short, a Minister cannot simply give her friend a job. Ms Apelgren-Nakardien's profound admissions appear to confirm that her employment is unlawful.

Ms Apelgren-Nakardien's second admission was that she lacks any fisheries management knowledge or prior experience. She further stated that for the post of DDG of Fisheries, such knowledge and experience is not required as she brings much needed management skills. On this latter point, it is worth noting that as the Head of Department of the Northern Cape's Department of Housing and Traditional Affairs, Ms Apelgren-Nakardien apparently failed to achieve some 78% of the department's own targets. It is therefore unclear what management or governance experience Ms Apelgren-Nakardien brings to the crisis-ridden fisheries branch. 

The minimum requirements for the post of DDG: Branch Fisheries were advertised in 2012 as the following:

• The position of Deputy Director-General: Fisheries Management is available for a person in possession of a relevant Honours degree as well as six (6) to ten (10) years experience in a senior management position. Does the DDG have an honours degree or even a postgraduate degree in law or fisheries science / management? 
• Applicants should also have knowledge and understanding of the Public Service Legislative Framework, the fishing industry, aquaculture and marine living resource issues, international law and their impact on fisheries as well as Government imperatives and priorities especially with regards to fisheries. The DDG has confirmed on national television that she does not meet this criterion by any stretch of the imagination.
• The incumbent will be required to provide strategic and executive leadership to the Branch, promote development, management, monitoring and sustainable use of marine resources to promote the development of South Africa’s Fisheries sector. Again, the DDG cannot meet this criterion as she lacks any knowledge of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors to provide the requisite strategic and executive leadership.

Further obvious questions that should be answered are:

• Did Ms Apelgren-Nakardien submit her CV as specified in the advertisement and was the CV submitted before the deadline?
• Did Ms Apelgren-Nakardien submit her job application as prescribed on a Z83 Form?

We will request that the Public Protector and the Public Service Commission intervene without delay and investigate whether Ms Nakardien-Apelgren's employment is indeed lawful.