Dr Bulela Vava argues that South Africa’s healthcare leadership urgently needs reframing. Despite a national review of Human Resources for Health led by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, entrenched biases persist—such as requiring only doctors and nurses for high-level executive positions in bodies like the Office of Health Standards Compliance. This preference effectively sidelines other qualified professionals—pharmacists, psychologists, environmental health practitioners, and more—even when they possess postgraduate qualifications and proven leadership experience. The result is a leadership culture driven by credentials rather than competency, overlooking essential skills like systems‑thinking, policy design, stakeholder engagement, and innovation. Vava contends this exclusionary model reinforces hierarchies, erodes accountability, breeds toxic cultures, and hampers public health improvement. He calls for a shift to a competency-based, inclusive leadership model that recognizes what professionals can do rather than what they studied, enabling more creative, effective public health governance for the 21st century. Read the full article here.
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