Minister of Public Enterprises Barbara Hogan was working on filling vacant top spots like chief executive officers in state owned enterprises (SOE), her spokeswoman said on Thursday.

"The process for the appointment of board members and CEOs for the SOE you mentioned is underway and announcements will be made in due course," said Ayanda Shezi in response to e-mailed questions.

She explained that Hogan, as the shareholder representative on behalf of government, is responsible for the appointment of the SOE board members, including chairmen. She also recommends appointment of these board members to Cabinet.

The boards recruit and recommend chief executive officer candidates to her for appointment and she submits the preferred candidate for appointment to Cabinet for noting.

Candidate that best meets criteria

"The criteria for appointment will vary depending on the specific needs of the SOE and various factors are considered, including the SOE's mandate, government's strategic intent, skills and demographic composition of the board. The candidate that best meets the criteria and the relevant factors affecting that particular SOE is appointed, and once appointed, is given the required support to best effect the job," Shezi said.

Institute of Security studies director Hennie van Vuuren said the current vacant posts should be filled speedily.

"We do need to see some clarity around the leadership of parastatals given their role in service delivery and the large budgets allocated to them by the state," said Van Vuuren.

Individuals or poorly-performing executive directors who no longer have the trust of their own staff and of the boards who appointed them must be moved out and new individuals should be appointed.

So far there are question marks over the chief executive officer positions at public broadcaster the SABC, power utility Eskom, Transnet Freight Rail, munitions procurer Armscor and national carrier SAA.

"Assault on black professionals"

The Black Management Forum (BMF) believes these vacancies are the result of an "assault on black professionals", with executives in particular being made "footballs, bastardised and manipulated by cynical forces".

Its made the remarks after Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga and its chairman Bobby Godsell resigned.

They believe events such as these are driven by a covert anti-transformation and racist agenda.

But, Van Vuuren calls this "disingenuous" as the primary shareholders represent the black electorate.

"One has to ask if the issue is about race, whether it is a red herring, or whether the BMF members represent vested interests."

People in these top positions would have complex organisations to run and would almost always have to deal with the results of a legacy of previous leadership, or apartheid.

This was whether their predecessors have been competent or incompetent.

Page two ... Failures

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