Resignations rock department

Four senior managers in the Department of Economic Development have resigned this month as the meltdown in a key segment of President Jacob Zuma's administration continues. Minister Ebrahim Patel's "micro-managing" style has been cited as the reason.

The latest resignations are chief director of economic policy, Pumela Salela, human resources head Molefe Matsomela, chief of staff Sipho Ndebele, and Nthato Minyuku, chief director of presidential infrastructure coordination.

Only Ndebele has secured a new job. The other three quit without a backup plan - because they had "had enough", sources said.

Jenny Schreiner, who became director-general of the department eight months ago, said she had introduced changes to improve service delivery. "These kinds of changes will result in some kind of reaction," she said.

However, parliament's economic development portfolio committee has often raised the issue of the high staff turnover.

Three senior officials quit earlier this year - Saul Levin, a chief director working with development finance institutions, chief financial officer Zweli Momeka, and legal section head Bernadetta Tabane.

The department's first director-general, Richard Levin, quit last year and now heads the Public Service Commission.

The Competition Commission, which falls under Patel, lost its deputy commissioner when Thembinkosi Bonakele resigned in February.

The department - the chief driver of job creation - has a staff complement of about 140, way below its own target of 250.

Officials told the Sunday Times that there was an "iron fist" environment in which managers were bullied and even shouted at in the corridors by the minister and Schreiner.

Schreiner said Patel did not engage with staff on management and operational issues. "That is my responsibility," she said.

She said it was not her approach to "discipline staff through shouting or through micro-management".

She added, however, that she was firm on what standards and performance levels were required.

A source said things were so bad that officials feared that their phones and offices were bugged and that they were being spied on with hidden cameras. Schreiner dismissed this as "absurd", saying it would never happen.

Former Competition Commission chairman David Lewis last year blasted Patel as an "activist, interventionist and micro-managing minister".

A civil servant, speaking anonymously, said Schreiner also clashed with the minister, who reduced her to the level of a "glorified administrator".