In an article published in Sunday Times 5 January 2015, WITS University Vice Chancellor, Professor Adam Habib, called for the ANC-led government to reconsider its policy of making political appointments for critical state owned entities.
He suggested that preference for positions should be for the right calibre of qualified personnel to ensure that the challenge of inefficiency in public institutions is addressed efficiently.
The following is a highlight of Habib’s article: ….the highlight of these institutions is not who they are politically accountable to but the quality of the leadership, including executives and board members.
Drawing on the impact of cadre deployment on Eskom’s performance, Habib notes: “.The consequence of bad appointments at Eskom is construction dealys, undue political influence in decision making, power cuts, and stunted growth domestic product.”