By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Presidency has defended a decision not to share the outcome of performance assessments with Cabinet ministers, because it does not want the information to be used as a “political” tool.
While addressing the media in Cape Town on Wednesday, presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya was asked when the president planned to make the document public after a DA Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) application seeking the release of the information was rejected.
DA MP Zak Mbhele slammed planning, monitoring & evaluation minister Maropene Ramokgopa for declining the DA’s Paia application for the outcomes of the performance reviews conducted on ministers between April and July.
The party said it will submit an appeal as “performance review assessments can never be classified material”.
Magwenya said the president had had at least two to three meetings with his ministers to assess their performance, which were measured against promises made in the State of the Nation Address.
They entered into performance agreements in 2020.
“It’s not an issue for the president to play politics with, as the opposition parties would prefer to do. There isn’t necessarily an obligation to make those assessments public, “Magwenya said.
Keeping the assessments private, Magwenya said, is not intended to dodge public accountability.
He said ministers’ performance were being regularly assessed to identify gaps in service delivery.
“The purpose is not to embarrass anybody or hang out anybody to dry in public, the purpose is to be constructive.”
In July, Ramaphosa indicated he would be assessing the performance of ministers and their deputies aggressively ahead of the 2024 elections.
At the ANC’s lekgotla, he said he and his deputy, Paul Mashatile, would crack the whip to ensure work was performed as the party underwent a review of its manifesto preparations.