Remove unqualified public servants: Mantashe

The ANC wants government to remove unqualified people from top municipal jobs, secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Wednesday.

This call comes ahead of the 2016 local government elections.

"Government is called upon to conduct a skills audit and remove those people who occupy positions they do not qualify for," he told reporters in Johannesburg.

"The ANC must publicly and decisively deal with poor performance and corruption."

Mantashe said the African National Congress wanted to strengthen accountability and political management. He said a history teacher could not be appointed as a chief financial officer, for example.

Mantashe was briefing the media following the ANC's three-day national executive committee lekgotla held in Pretoria this week. The committee also called on government to review non-viable municipalities.