Cape Town - Opposition parties have objected after a white male was appointed as the head of the Western Cape Department of Community Safety.
The ANC and the EFF in the provincial legislature say the appointment of Gideon Morris is yet another senior position in the provincial government that has gone to a white male. Both parties have vowed to take the matter further.
Morris effectively took over from outgoing head of department Gilbert Lawrence, who ended his career as a public servant at the end of last month with a lifetime achievement award from the auditor-general of South Africa.
Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said Lawrence’s dedication and commitment to the public service had steered the department to its fifth consecutive clean audit report. “This is a significant achievement for good governance in the public sector. The auditor-general’s recognition of his exemplary service is a befitting testament of and swansong for Dr Lawrence.”
Plato said Morris had proven his dedication to safety and quality of work in his former post as chief director in the Department of Community Safety.
“He took over from Dr Lawrence as head of department on April 1, following the department’s extensive selection and interview process,” Plato said, adding he had confidence and faith in Morris’s capabilities.
EFF MPL Nazier Paulsen said he was surprised by the appointment, despite the Department of Labour earlier saying “there must be no appointments in the Department of Community Safety until they have finalised their employment equity plan”.
Paulsen pointed out that Morris came from a correctional services environment, and noted that most appointments made by the department, while he was chief director, came from the Department of Correctional Service. “That is tantamount to nepotism. But most importantly this exposes MEC Plato as a very weak leader,” he said.
The ANC said Morris’s appointment showed the provincial government was not committed to transformation, redress, employment equity, or addressing the imbalances in the Western Cape.
ANC spokesman Cobus Grobler said “it is the perpetuation of apartheid-style institutionalised racism, where white males get preference”. “The number of white heads of departments in the provincial government has increased. This is a step backwards…”
The ANC also referred to previous criticism raised by the employment equity commission about the skewed demographic representation in the province.
But the ACDP’s Ferlon Christians said they were convinced Morris was the right man for the job. “It’s about experience and he has been with the department for some time. He is competent… and has a unique insight into community safety issues.”
Christians said although the ACDP believed in transformation and employment equity, the best candidate should be given a chance to do the job. “Morris is the best person for the job. It is now up to him to train a person of colour to take over from him one day,” he said.
Morris said: “I have 32 years experience in government and have worked under the ANC, the IFP and now a DA minister.”
He said to the best of his knowledge the head of the departments of the Western Cape were as a collective fully compliant with employment equity targets.
Cape Argus