Axe hovers over public service workers

Image: GCIS

Public servants will be banned from engaging in private business with government departments and the Department of Public Service and Administration will have the capacity to investigate fraud‚ corruption and other disciplinary matters.

These measures are among those National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel and Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu have settled on as the first steps to implement the National Development Plan.

Building "a capable state" lies at the heart of the plan‚ which President Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress have made clear will shape the government programme for the next five years at least.

Manuel said at a briefing in Parliament on Tuesday (19 February) that there "will be a discussion on the re-skilling of public servants and ensuring that there are consequences for people who do not do what is required".

He said there would be "very significant reforms". Sisulu has launched the first step - a skills audit of all public servants.

While it was only possible to remove people "within the framework of the law" it was also in the interests of democracy that those who failed to do their jobs "be relieved of their responsibilities"‚ she said.

Image: GCIS

Sisulu said that public servants who were deemed not to be competent by a performance management system‚ would be retrained for other positions.

"All managers would need to attend a three-month "reorientation course" which would cover the basics of the Public Service Act‚ the Public Finance Management Act and the culture of the public service‚" she said.

New employees will need to attend the new school of government for between three and 12 months.

"The public service must respond to the task at hand and be structured to implement the National Development Plan at a fast pace‚" Sisulu said.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi took two years to complete a skills audit in public health and a massive redeployment of managers. Last month he replaced 100 hospital CEOs.

Like Motsoaledi‚ Sisulu has compiled minimum standards for accounting officers across all three spheres of government‚ including minimum qualifications and years of experience required for these positions.

The standards will apply to national directors-general‚ heads of provincial departments and municipal managers.

Minimum standards were also compiled for chief financial officers in all three spheres of government and submitted to the Cabinet.

Public Service and Administration spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya said that accounting officers would have responsibility for audit reports built into their contracts.

"The minister wants accounting officers who continually get qualified audits to leave‚" he said.

Manuel said major reforms could also be applied to the government's supply chain management‚ which was "the Achilles heel of government". These would be elaborated on by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his budget speech‚ he said.