The Department of Public Service and Administration is in the process of finalising the establishment of the Public Administration Ethics Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit.
Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu made the announcement during his maiden Budget Vote Speech in Parliament, Cape Town recently.
“We continue with the work of establishing a full-fledged Public Administration Ethics Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit, including finalisation of its location in the Department’s organogram,” he said.
The Minister said the scourge of corruption and the perception thereof have been consolidated by allegations and revelations at the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture.
He said honesty, transparency and the anti-corruption culture should be protected and promoted, if not rewarded.
According to Minister Mchunu, the issue of discipline management in the public service is not only a challenge but also costs government a lot of money.
The Minister indicated that precautionary suspensions received by his Department from national departments as at 31 December 2018, indicated that there were 444 cases reported.
Out of this number, 182 cases were finalised, 262 cases were pending and the total cost of these precautionary suspensions is a whopping R65 million.
He further said precautionary suspensions received from provincial departments as at 31 December 2018; indicated that there were 457 cases reported.
Out of this number, 162 cases were finalised, 295 cases were pending and the total cost of these precautionary suspensions is R72 million.
In terms of misconduct, the Minister said the following was reported to his Department:
- National departments as at 31 December 2018, there were 1 819 cases reported, 656 were finalised, 501 were finalised within the 90-day period, 155 were finalised outside the 90-day period whereas 1 163 cases were pending.
- Provincial departments as at 31 March 2019, there were 3 942 cases reported, 2 432 were finalised, 2 334 were finalised within the 90-day period, 93 were finalised outside the 90-day period whereas 1 510 cases were pending. (Minister requires clarity on these figures).
“These figures are of a grave concern, but we will continue to apply discipline management to ensure that we operate with a professional Public Service that complies with the relevant policies and regulations,” he said.
