Former WCED department head Brian Schreuder. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town - The Public Service Commission (PSC) has found that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) was derelict in its duty to ensure that proper human resource planning and leadership succession planning was undertaken in the controversial 2020 matter of the appointment of former department head Brian Schreuder as governance and exams specialist advisor.
An investigation by the PSC of a grievance submitted by an anonymous complainant, found that Schreuder’s appointment to the role on a one year contract was irregular but not illegal.
The complainant also said that the SA Council for Educators (SACE) requirements were relaxed for the appointment.
The PSC report on the investigation, however, recommended that the WCED undertake a proper analysis of its critical staffing requirements to ensure proper succession planning.
Education MEC David Maynier said the department noted the commission’s findings and was considering its recommendations.
PSC Western Cape commissioner Leonardo Goosen told the legislature’s standing committee on the premier and constitutional matters that the recruitment and appointment process was unusually fast-tracked.
The investigation found that the submission was signed off on the day of assumption of duty by the then new department head Brent Walters, and that the advertisement period for the post had only five calendar days between being published and the closing date for applications.
The PSC report said: “The department’s claim that it had no idea who would be applying for the position is implausible. Given the serious need identified by the HoD, and the weight of the risk that the departure of key officials posed for the department, why allow a narrow window period of five calendar days to fill such a critical role?”
It said a reasonable assumption was that the department already knew who would be applying and who it wanted to employ.
Goosen’s briefing to the standing committee also touched on two investigations into financial mismanagement and the irregular appointment of staff at two schools, Tafelsig Primary and Walmer Secondary.
In both cases the PSC found non-compliance with school financial policy, a lack of controls and proper oversight on the part of the School Governing Bodies, lack of supervision over funds by principal and poor maladministration detection systems.
The recommendations called for among other things, regular audits to be undertaken by district staff, capacity building of principal, bursar and the SGBs in particular.
The PSC also urged a proper and effective response to allegations of irregular expenditure at school level and said that the nature of advertisements of contract posts was problematic and that there should be a set standard that fulfils the requirements of transparency and openness when such posts are advertised internally.
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za