Fikeni criticises South Africa’s vetting process for public officials [SOUND]

# Public Service Commission chairperson professor Somadoda Fikeni says vetting processes for public servants in South Africa are often not taken seriously and fall short of standards applied in other countries. Testifying before the Madlanga Commission, Fikeni questioned why officials can begin their appointments before completing vetting. He says delays can result in clearance only shortly before an official’s term ends, defeating the purpose of the process. He also criticised brief induction programmes: