Former CEO of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) and government spokesperson, Prof. Themba Maseko, encouraged Ethics Officers to be courageous in their role of combating unlawful conduct in the workplace.
Prof. Maseko spoke at the two-day National Ethics Officer Forum organized by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, on Thursday. Prof. Maseko, who is also former DPSA Director-General urged Ethics Officers to collaborate closely with their respective Human Resources Units to ensure that ethics are integrated into all departmental programs.
“My advice to you as Ethics Officers is to be brave in your duties and to perform them diligently. You need to have a thick skin, as you will be dealing with complex issues. However, I urge you to remain steadfast and committed to your principles.
“You must be accessible, trustworthy, and dependable. The worst thing you can do as Ethics Officer is to receive sensitive information and share it indiscriminately with other employees or the public. Treat the information you receive with absolute confidentiality. You should also develop a system that makes it easier for individuals to report wrongdoing in your respective offices,” he stated.
He further emphasized the importance of training programs to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills. Prof. Maseko also called on Ethics Officers to support the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development’s policy proposal aimed at protecting whistle-blowers.
Mr. Isaac Kabini, DPSA’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Oversights and Interventions, explained that the objectives of the Directive on Institutionalizing the Ethics Officer Function include establishing a framework for making the Ethics Officer role a full-time position when needed and feasible. The directive provides guidance for appointing full-time Ethics Officers or designating Ethics Officers tailored to departmental needs.
Regarding the monitoring of the directive’s implementation, Mr. Kabini stated that their unit, the Public Administration Ethics Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit (PAEIDTAU), aims to ensure the directive is practical and beneficial for departments. They will conduct surveys to assess how the directive is being implemented and offer support based on the feedback to identify areas where departments may need further assistance.
“The objective the Ethics Project Committee is to develop guidelines, procedures, and tools to assist departments in establishing ethics committees, designating committee members, and managing overall committee operations,” he added.