Checking Political Discretion in Recruitment to South Africa’s Public Administration

By Ryan Brunette Abstract As civil service reform comes onto the agenda in South Africa, this paper analyses the contemporary situation and suggests an approach to moving forward. Key to success will be the creation of independent checks on excessive political discretion in recruitment into the public administration. The government’s existing across-the-board approach, which threatens to do so simultaneously across whole sectors of the public administration, amplifies political risks and, therefore, explains the hesitancy of the current process. Drawing on comparative experience this paper suggests an alternative, strategic incremental approach. Legal mechanisms must target specific state organisations and bias the institutional terrain of politics toward a gradual expansion of reform.