Home Affairs bonuses under review

Bonuses for home affairs officials were being reviewed, not cancelled, a department spokesman said.

Spokesman, Ronnie Mamoepa, said the bonuses were not called off, but "a review of the recommendations made thus far was simply underway".

He was responding to reports that the bonuses were stopped because it was believed too many officials were in line to receive them.

Mamoepa explained that in government departments, managers reviewed staff every six months, and they made recommendations to the department and broader review committees on bonuses.

"They will moderate the recommendations... that is where it is now."

He said final recommendations had not been made and explained that it was "normal" for a larger number of recommendations to initially go forward, and then to be moderated to an average amount of 20 percent of staff getting bonuses.

"Indeed those who have performed well will be rewarded and those that haven't, obviously cannot look forward to being rewarded."

He said performance bonuses were given out in recognition of performance.

"A bonus is not a right... bonuses are mechanisms to encourage."

Earlier on Thursday, the Freedom Front Plus welcomed the reported suspension of service bonuses for 2009/10 to home affairs officials by department Director-General, Mkuseli Apleni.

"For too long service bonuses in the public service and especially the department of home affairs, have been viewed as a right to which officials are entitled rather than being something which is to be earned through proper rendering of quality work,” FFP spokesman, Corné Mulder, said.

“The poor performance of the department of home affairs in recent years is well known. It is unfathomable that in precisely this department where service delivery is so poor, 70 percent of workers had received an above-average evaluation mark in this financial year.”

The department was urged to take "concrete steps" against officials found to have abused the system to award service bonuses to officials who did not deserve it.

"The FF plus would like to congratulate the Director-General for his actions and expresses the hope that his example will be followed by other director-generals in the public service."