News24 reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa's impending transfer of the human settlements department's director-general (DG), Mbulelo Tshangana, to a yet-to-be revealed portfolio highlights the volatility of the government's top echelons.

Tshangana's move to a different department means yet another acting DG will have to be appointed at the department, adding to the growing list of acting DGs. A recent report, which was presented to the Public Service and Administration, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, detailed the extended periods officials had to act as DGs and heads of department (HoDs). The report, compiled by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, indicated: "If consequences management was properly applied to defaulters and poor performance, there could be improved compliance to prescripts and public service. The percentage of acting DGs/HoDs was 27% in 2019/20, dropped to 24% in 2020/21, and is currently 20%. This shows a gradual decrease on a yearly basis. However, it would be ideal if there are no long-term acting DGs/HoDs. The prescripts require public servants to act no longer than six months." Meanwhile, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele revealed in response to a parliamentary question that six top officials had been paid just over R12 million for sitting at home. He listed the six suspended officials (details in News24 report), of whom two were in Mpumalanga, two in the Free State, one in the Northern Cape and one in KwaZulu-Natal. During last year, several DGs were operating in an acting capacity due to contracts which came to an end or disputes with their ministers.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24 (subscriber access only)

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