Economic Development Annual Report

Annual Report 2023/2024 Mpumalanga: Department of Economic Development and Tourism - Vote 6

1. INTRODUCTION The information contained in this part of the annual report has been prescribed by the Minister for the Public Service and Administration for all departments in the public service. 2. OVERVIEW OF HUMAN RESOURCES During the period under review, the Department managed to finalise the appointment of a female senior manager in Programme 3 which had been vacant for an extended period of time. This has contributed towards improving the EE profile of the Department at SMS level to 37%, which is still below the required 50%. There were twenty eight (28) appointments made during the period under review. However, the cost containment measures that were put in place halted the recruitment processes until all the admin processes are finalised as per the DPSA Directive. The Department continued to be led by an Acting Head of Department due to the post being vacant since 01 December 2020. The recruitment process of an Accounting Officer is the responsibility of the Office of the Premier and the processes have been halted. The recruitment processes during the year had five promotions and two Interns appointments which have had a positive impact towards improving employees’ morale. There were two precautionary suspensions at a senior management level which had an impact on the morale of the management team, however the process was managed and the SMS members were cleared of the charges, and they returned to work. During the period of precautionary suspensions the acting responsibility was given to female employees which was an opportunity to learn responsibilities at a higher level. The Department achieved 99% compliance on the signing of performance agreements and 93% on the submission of annual assessments. An effort will be put in to ensure that the Department reaches 100% compliance. As part of consequence management, in this regard, employees who did not comply were instructed in writing to furnish reasons why they did not comply. As a result of the disciplinary processes, we anticipate 100% compliance in the next performance cycle. The reports received from GEMS have indicated a high level of stress and employees who suffer from lifestyle related diseases. In an effort to promote a healthy lifestyle, emphasis was put on physical health and health awareness sessions during the period under review. 3. HUMAN RESOURCES OVERSIGHT STATISTICS Personnel related expenditure The following tables summarises the final audited personnel related expenditure by programme and by salary bands. In particular, it provides an indication of the following: Amount spent on personnel Amount spent on salaries, overtime, homeowner’s allowances and medical aid.

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