Limpopo officials face corruption charges

(Image: GCIS)

In an address during a national conference to mark the 100th anniversary of the Public Service Commission (PSC) held at the Cape Sun Hotel, Sisulu added that disciplinary procedures against officials had been fast tracked and that all ghost workers had now been removed from the state's Persal payroll system.

"We're hoping that by the time the premier makes an announcement, we will be ready to cede or draw back most of our forces from Limpopo. We believe that Limpopo is now on the road to recovery," Sisulu said.

Addressing delegates, Sisulu listed a number of measures that the commission had been involved in to make the public sector more effective.

These include developing a code of conduct for public servants (which must still be refined), implementing a financial disclosure framework for senior managers in the public service, setting up an anti-corruption hotline and helping to set up the national anti-corruption forum.

Vamped up monitoring and evaluation system

The commission had also vamped up its monitoring and evaluation system which provides MPs, members of provincial legislatures and managers in the public service with valuable information on the state of the public service and had developed a public-service barometer for provincial and national government performance.

The commission's work had also led to legislative amendments, most notable among them the prohibition of public servants doing business with government.

Sisulu called on the commission to make more inspections of schools, hospitals and clinics to tackle problems such as the rate of absenteeism of teachers and waiting time in health care sites and often uncaring attitude of healthcare workers.

She also asked that the commission work more closely with the department and that it consider submitting its regular evaluation and monitoring reports on the public service, first to her department before Parliament at the end of each year, so that more speedy action could be action.

Stronger relationship required

Sisulu called for the commission's relationship between Parliament and the provincial legislatures to be strengthened further and that these institutions in executing their oversight responsibility should engage with the commission more frequently.

"Parliament and the legislatures are the PSC's primary stakeholders and a more structured and vigorous relationship with these institutions has most certainly promoted democracy and good governance," she said.

PSC chairperson Ben Mthembu told delegates that the commission was looking to engage more with local governments, and had made a request to the National Treasury for further allocations to fund more posts.

Mthembu also told delegates said the quality of services would be improved if the accountability for all government officials was put in place and if standards were put in place to service delivery and benchmarked with similar emerging countries.

He added that the abuse of procurement was "causing serious problems" and welcomed the Public Administration and Management Bill introduced in Parliament in June by the department to ban public servants from doing business with the government.

Sisulu said the public comment period closed yesterday, after it was extended by a month on the request from the Western Cape, and the department is now expected to sift through responses.