Cadre Deployment Policy and its Effects on Performance Management in South African Local Government: A Critical Review

Abstract

The change from a politically-sanctioned racial segregation opened support of another popularity based administration which was an overwhelming procedure at all levels. In South Africa, the positive policies to turnaround the economy of the country came along with cadre deployment policy which advocates for ANC party loyalists to occupy a prominent position in the public sector. This political patronage via state jobs leads to poor institutional quality or performance of the nation as a whole. Focusing on the significant association between the demands of economic growth and expansion, this paper assesses the effects of the cadre deployment policy against performance management in the public sector. It presents a proposed framework based on the control theories illustrating how cadre deployment and performance management can contribute to the current knowledge of the African academic and administrative environment. The article adopted an extensive review of literature which was premised on various document sources that inform cadre deployment, Auditor General Reports, Annual Reports and relevant literature on the subject. Results of this study showed that cadre deployment exacerbated corruption, poor procurement systems and wasteful expenditure and the deteriorating State of Local Government.  The article calls for the review and the changes of the authoritative structure governing local municipalities in order to supplement Section (152) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The article further directs the ANC led government to revise the cadre deployment policy to combat the challenges of severe skills shortage and poor service delivery in various municipalities across the country as a result of nepotism, politicization and hiring unqualified labour.