KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) embattled Sharks Board continues to face management challenges as the province’s Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), the Board itself and the current appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) battle it out over who will be installed at the helm of the entity.
In what can only be described as a comedy of errors, reliable sources have informed the DA of a new CEO being instructed to report for duty.
The individual, a former senior official within KZN’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), was however told by Board members that they had no confirmation of his appointment – and sent on his way.
The conundrum continues, with the Sharks Board still without a permanent CEO and the appointee unsure of where and when he should report for duty. This bureaucratic bungle is not only prejudicial to the apparent CEO, it also highlights the chaos which seemingly reigns within KZN’s EDTEA department as a whole.
The merging of the KZN Sharks Board with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife lies at the heart of the conundrum, with legislation allowing the merger long overdue. This while EDTEA’s many entities remain in limbo, with acting chief executives, as the department struggles with rationalisation and merger processes.
It is clear that KZN’s new political leadership and its inept attempts at reshuffling are not in the best interest of our province. This latest management disaster is proof of the incompetence and lack of planning that pervades what is meant to be the powerhouse of economic development.
The DA remains committed to holding this ANC-run government to account. The citizens of our province deserve better from government and entities. KZN’s newly-appointed ANC executive cannot continue to run its entities as a spares shop at the expense of citizens.