Cabinet has approved a move to amend national and provincial government directors-general's performance reviews and to extend their tenure from five to 10 years.

At a press briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said Cabinet was determined to ensure directors-general were appointed appropriately, and that they delivered the public service mandate. 

Gungubele recently told Parliament that out of 45 national government departments, 10 had acting directors-general.

The situation at provincial departments was just as worrisome, with 33 acting directors-general.

Reasons for the high turnover rate varied from political interference to corruption allegations.

A report on strengthening the role of DGs includes integrity testing, ensuring that the appointment and functioning of DGs is free of political interference, and extending their tenure from five to 10 years.

This after concerns that the short timeframe affects government departments' functioning.

The director-general in the Presidency will take on additional responsibilities as the head of public administration, Gungubele said, and in provincial departments, this function will fall under the director-general in the premier's office. 

"The report also proposed that the DG in the Presidency will be designated as the head of public administration. This function will be designated to the DG in the premier's office in the provinces. The report further proposed measures to guide departments on managing DGs," Gungubele said.

He did not explain why Cabinet saw it necessary for the Presidency to oversee public administration when a ministerial department exists for the function.

He said acting Public Service and Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi would outline the changes next week.

Nxesi told Parliament in May that the changes to the appointment and performance reviews of DGs would include the following: 

• Instruments to undertake integrity testing before any individual joins the public sector;
• Stabilising the political-administrative interface across the public sector;
• With regard to the tenure of HoDs, the government will increase the period of their term to 10 years, subject to performance;
• Repurposing the role of the Public Service Commission for insulation of recruitment and selection practices from partisan influence and manipulation for the appointment of directors-general and their deputies;
• Reviewing and strengthening recognition of prior learning for use in the public sector; and
• In another move aimed at professionalising the public service, approving a national implementation framework for the sector.

Nxesi is expected to unpack this framework at length in the coming weeks. A draft framework was published in 2021.

The pillars of the framework include:

• Pre-entry recruitment and selection in the public service; 
• Induction and onboarding, planning and performance management;
• Continuous learning and professional development; and
• Career progression.

During its October meeting, Cabinet also approved the appointment of two directors-general. 

Shabeer Khan was appointed as the Accountant-General at National Treasury. He previously served as the chief financial officer in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. 

Advocate James Mlawu has been appointed director-general in the Department of Transport. Mlawu served in various roles in the department.