Exit of whites 'unfortunate'

2008-08-27 17:25

Johannesburg - The departure of whites from the public service had left a skills vacuum in certain areas, ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa said on Wednesday.

"As an elected leader of the African National Congress, I want to ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past," he wrote in a column in The Star newspaper.

One mistake was to allow a process that led to too many casualties of well-meaning, skilful and patriotic experts in the public sector.

"In addition, the exit of white persons - who had a contribution to make - from the civil service followed an unfortunate course that resulted in a skills vacuum in some areas of the public service," Phosa said.

"It is something that we aim to correct over time to ensure that those experts who can add substantial value to public service delivery will be given a chance to return and make the contribution they were trained to do."

Phosa said it was no secret that the government needed such skills in financial management, information technology and in safety, crime and judicial management.

He urged "well-meaning" South Africans, white and black, not to leave the country but to contribute to economic growth through partnerships.

"It is not only in the public service where white and black South Africans have worked side by side to make South Africa a better place to live," Phosa wrote.

"We should emulate the example of... Nelson Mandela and reach deeply across divides to ensure that we search for the very best in one another."

- SAPA