Various media houses recently reported on a reply to a parliamentary question by the Minister for Public Service and Administration (DPSA) on the number of senior managers without three-year university degrees or equivalent qualifications. This number initially stood at over 2 500 officials but has since decreased to about 1 800. The DPSA has acknowledged that the decrease is a result of human resources units in national and provincial departments updating information on the payroll system. Regardless of this decrease in the percentage of senior managers deemed to be unqualified for their positions and ongoing verification and analysis of data across departments, some politicians and commentators have been feasting on this matter, baying for blood as they see these officials as wounded springboks in the Serengeti.