Africa-Press – Botswana. The Permanent Secretary to the President, Emmah Peloetletse, has acknowledged confusion within government departments about the freeze on creation of new posts in the civil service and admitted that additional guidance may be necessary.
The government has instituted a freeze on creation of new posts in the civil service but this does not apply to already existing or approved vacancies. the Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Emmah Peloetletse has said.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this week, Peloetletse faced probing questions about widespread reports that government departments were misinterpreting the freeze to mean a blanket ban on all recruitment, including replacement of staff who exit the system.
No newly created posts
The latest development comes amid a rebuttal by the Director of Public Service Management (DPSM), Gaone Machola, who has distanced herself from a story that appeared in one of the weekly broadsheets claiming she had issued a directive to government departments about the recruitment freeze.
“The freeze applies strictly to new positions,” Peloetletse told the PAC, effectively confirming that there is indeed a freeze on recruitment as reported by the media.
“That means no additional or newly created positions will be approved beyond what has already been allocated. Departments are not allowed to recruit for positions that have not been budgeted for or previously approved.”
The clarification came in response to concerns raised by the MP for Maun East and PAC member, Goretetse Kekgonegile, about the rationale behind implementing a freeze in the face of existing human resource shortages, particularly in critical sectors like agriculture.
“Across the country, there are only five agricultural coordinators currently in service,” said Kekgonegile. “How will this freeze affect junior employees? Will it also apply to leadership positions?”
Even approved staffing structures
He expressed concern that a savingram issued to departments had triggered confusion, causing many to halt recruitment entirely, even for positions that are critical or already part of approved staffing structures.
The MP for Thamaga/Kumakwane and PAC member, Palelo Motaosane, echoed similar sentiments. “When employees resign or retire, departments often say those posts cannot be filled because of the freeze,” he said. “The explanation we receive from government entities is that all recruitment has been halted.”
Whereupon Peloetletse corrected the misinterpretation. “Not all posts are frozen,” she said. “If a critical position becomes vacant, it can and should be filled – provided it already exists in the establishment. The issue is with new, additional posts that require budgetary expansion. That’s where the freeze applies.”
Clearer communication
She acknowledged the growing confusion within departments and conceded that further guidance may be necessary.
“We will have to issue clearer communication to departments to avoid this misinterpretation,” she said. “The country cannot operate without critical positions being filled.”
The Chairman of the PAC, Taolo Lucas, said while the Committee had initially understood the freeze to apply only to new posts, feedback from the field painted a different picture.
“Departments tell us they cannot fill even existing vacancies because of the freeze,” he stated. “That’s the practical effect we’re seeing, and it undermines the delivery of public services.”
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