OVER 700 VACANCIES CRIPPLING AGRICULTURE - PS

LOBAMBA – The Ministry of Agriculture has over 700 vacant posts that have crippled service delivery, among other challenges.

The figures were disclosed by the Principal Secretary, Sydney Simelane. He said the hiring freeze had crippled their service delivery, because retired and deceased officers had not been replaced since 2018, when the circular was introduced.  “We are a big ministry and we need officers. Currently, we have more than 700 vacancies, which have affected our service delivery,” he said.

The PS made this presentation when he was leading the Ministry of Agriculture before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday. The deputy chairperson of the PAC Manzi Zwane, who is also the Chairman of the House of Assembly Public Service Portfolio Committee, said he was worried about the number of vacancies in the ministry.

He asked the PS if he submitted the vacancies to the Ministry of Public Service, which is responsible for hiring civil servants. “We have heard that the hiring freeze was lifted and controlling officers can fill vacant posts,” he said.
The human resources officer, in response, told the MPs that despite the Ministry of Public Service issuing a circular that stated that the hiring freeze had been lifted, the situation on the ground had not changed.

Circular

The officers highlighted that before the circular, officers had to ask for a waiver from Cabinet. It was stated that the difference was that the waiver had to be requested at the public service Ministry and posts would be issued based on the available budget. The officers said even before this circular, posts were issued based on the available budget.
The controlling officer also told the PAC that for this financial year, he had asked for 60 posts for extension officers, but he was granted only four.

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