The public service should not be viewed as an easy target for exploitation and self-enrichment, says Public Service and Administration Minister, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi.

Speaking at the unveiling of Ethics Week at Batho Pele House in Pretoria on Monday, Minister Inkosi Buthelezi emphasized that the Public Service and Administration should be regarded as a pillar of ethical governance and accountability.

“By launching Ethics Week today, we are directly addressing the source of our problems. This Ethics Week offers us an opportunity to tackle the actual challenges in the public service that undermine service delivery and, in turn, hamper our economic growth.

“The public we serve expects and deserves a government that acts ethically and with absolute integrity, as these are the foundations upon which trust is built.

“When people lose trust in us, it means we have undermined the Constitution that we must uphold. It means we have compromised the very institution we represent, and it means we have betrayed the people we serve,” he said.

The launched Ethics Week is part of Integrated Public Service Month. The South African government has designated September as Public Service Month, a key national event in its annual calendar.

This year’s theme, “A Government That Works for You” (#GovThatWorks4You), reflects the 7th Administration’s commitment to delivering effective services to all South Africans and its focus on building a capable, ethical, and developmental state machinery.

According to Inkosi Buthelezi, Ethics Week also presents an opportunity to promote good governance and combat corruption, adding that the alignment of Ethics Week with the Integrated Public Service Month theme, “A Government That Works for You,” is significant.

He explained that while Public Service Month focuses on the importance of responsive, people-centered governance, Ethics Week focuses on ensuring that the principles underpinning services—such as honesty, fairness, and transparency—are upheld.

Minister Buthelezi stated that it is the duty of public servants to live according to the values enshrined in Section 195 of the Constitution, which dictates that public administration must be governed by democratic values and principles.

These values and principles include promoting and maintaining a high standard of professional ethics and ensuring the efficient, economic, and effective use of resources.

He further urged public servants to recommit themselves to the standards of excellence and integrity that South Africans rightfully expect as they render services. By doing so, he said, they will not only strengthen the public service but also contribute to the broader vision of a capable, ethical, and developmental state.

The Chief Director of the Public Administration Ethics, Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit (PA-EID-TAU), Dr. Salomon Hoogenraad-Vermaak, stated that the priorities of the MPSA regarding ethics and corruption in the public service are to improve trust in government and government services by decisively addressing corruption and corrupt officials, with a special focus on whistleblowing. He emphasized the importance of improving discipline management to ensure that disciplinary processes are completed in a timely manner.

Dr. Hoogenraad-Vermaak noted that the two strategic thrusts of this Unit are strengthening the ethics infrastructure in the public service to guide ethical conduct and improving consequence management to institutionalize ethical behavior.

Ethics Officers

Dr. Hoogenraad-Vermaak also announced that starting this year, they will focus on the establishment of ethics committees. “During the week, we will provide guidance to departments to assist them with establishing ethics committees. We now have more than 320 Ethics Officers, with the majority being women,” he said.

The roles of Ethics Officers are outlined in the PSR:

– Financial declarations (each year)

– Guidance on taking and registering gifts

– Management of ORW

– Conducting lifestyle reviews

– Providing advice.