Public Service and Administration Portfolio Committee: Outstanding Reports & Third-Term Programme

Meeting report

Report on oversight visit to Thusong Centres: Gauteng and Northern Cape Provinces
The Chairperson tabled the report for consideration. Specific reference was made to the recommendations made by Members.

Ms F Mbikane (ANC) stated that there were still issues that needed to be resolved at the Thusong Centres. A strategy was needed to address these issues. The Committee needed to do its own monitoring and had to come up with its own oversight strategies. For example, the Committee needed to go back to the State Information and Technology Agency (SITA) and check on what improvements had been made. The Committee needed to have greater oversight over departments especially the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA).

The Chairperson stated that all the issues that were raised were of critical importance and were being considered. Good plans were not always executed properly. A meeting with the Chairperson of Chairpersons had been held to discuss the issue of oversight.

In many instances reports were forwarded to the Committee but unfortunately oversight was not always done on those institutions forwarding the reports. The research capacity of Parliament should assist the Committee to improve its oversight function. It was difficult to achieve anything on ones own. Working in clusters should be encouraged as more could be achieved. Closer work with the Public Services Commission was also needed. A programme of action was needed.

Ms Mbikane pointed out that there was a shortage of Thusong Centres in rural areas. Rural inhabitants had to walk long distances to access service centres. Thusong Centres should be a priority in rural areas. The infrastructure itself was what was needed.

Ms A Dreyer (DA) highlighted that certain Thusong Centres were not making rental payments on buildings that were being rented. Rates, water and electricity were in some instances also not paid. The municipalities were thus losing income. She felt that government should lead by example and make payments where it should be made.

On Ms H Van Schalkwyk (DA) referred to the lack of Thusong Centres in rural areas and noted that some government departments deployed mobile units to those remote areas. The Department of Home Affairs was one such department. She felt that a fixed permanent structure would be best for a Thusong Centre in rural areas.

Ms Razia January, Committee Secretary, said that the recommendations in the Report did not set deadlines for when report backs should be made to Parliament.

The Chairperson said that the Report would be placed before COGTA and DPSA in order for them to respond to it. It was essential that responses from COGTA and DPSA should be obtained based on the recommendations that Members had made.

The Committee adopted the Report.

Report on Strategic Planning Workshop 2010
Ms Mbikane noted that it was good that issues were outlined in the Report, however these needed to be elaborated further. One of the issues which required greater attention was the relationship between the Committee, the Public Services Commission (PSC) and the Auditor-General (AG). The PSC and the AG submitted reports to Cabinet but the question remained as to what happened to those reports. The R200 000 threshold for supply chain management and the need to tighten compliance on procurement were some of the other issues mentioned in the Report. Finally, she stated that the Report was precise on what had taken place in the workshop but did not speak to what the Committee’s way forward was.

The Chairperson suggested that issues could be highlighted within the Report as key issues.

Ms Mbikane suggested that even entities falling under the umbrella of the Department should be identified. Those that did not fall under the Department should also be identified as such. She added that the A-G only investigated when he was requested to do so.

The Chairperson said that the issues raised would be considered during the fourth term. In addition, she reiterated earlier comments that the Committee’s fourth term would be guided by the work that was done by Members in the third term.

Ms Mbikane furthermore emphasised that the Persal system needed a cleanup. Other systems could not be properly operational and monitored given the Persal system problems.

The Committee adopted the Report.

Committee Minutes
14 April 2010
Ms Dreyer stated that Members had made recommendations on the R200 000 threshold issue. What was to happen with the recommendations that were made?

The Chairperson replied that it was important to have a cluster approach. There would be a follow up on recommendations made by Members. Cluster meetings would be held. Parliament had even set aside time for cluster meetings to take place.

The Committee adopted the minutes.

21 April 2010
Ms Dreyer said that a copy of a forensic investigation report on Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA) had been requested in the meeting. She asked what progress had been made on the forensic report since then.

The Chairperson sreplied that a meeting had been held with the Minister about backlog issues. She said that the Committee Secretary would follow up on the issue.

The minutes were adopted.

5 May 2010
The Chairperson pointed out that the meeting had been a joint meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Finance. The Committee would consider and adopt the minutes of the meeting. Thereafter it would be referred to the Finance Portfolio Committee for consideration and adoption.

The minutes were adopted.

12 May 2010
Ms Dreyer stated that there were matters that had arisen in the meeting that required follow-ups. The PSC had alluded to the problem of performance agreements not being signed by departments. Performance agreements had to be signed. It was the only way to ensure accountability. 

The Chairperson said that an audit on risk management and human resources had been done. A meeting had been called with Director Generals. The signing of performance contracts was an issue that was receiving attention. The point made by Ms Dreyer was duly noted.

Ms Mbikane stated that DPSA should also be called to book. When the Department made presentations to the Committee, the impression that was given was that they were a new department. The Department was not new. The Chairperson should direct the Department as to what was required of them in presentations. The Human Resource Management System in the Department was not on par. It had a lot of hidden problems. The Department had to provide the Committee with detailed presentations. She agreed that performance agreements were vital. The Department had a tendency to play with words. Many things were not revealed. The answers given by the Department were not what the Committee needed to hear.

The comments by Members were noted.

The minutes were adopted.

19 May 2010   
Ms J Maluleke (ANC) said that in the meeting it had been agreed that due to time constraints written responses would be given to questions that had been asked.
The written responses were yet to be received by the Committee.

The minutes were adopted.

26 May 2010 
The Committee adopted the minutes.

Ms Dreyer asked whether all Ministers had signed performance agreements. If not what was the progress that had been made thus far.

Ms Mbikane said that a special approach was needed on the issue. The question was how to ensure that the remainder of performance agreements were to be signed. How was oversight to be ensured?

The Chairperson said that deadlines had been set for the signing of performance contracts by Ministers. The deadline had been 1 May 2010. She was not aware of any Minister that had not signed a performance agreement.

Third Term Committee Programme
The Chairperson noted that the draft Third Term Committee Programme was compiled in consultation with the Minister. The Fourth Term Programme would depend on the work done in the third term. The Committee generally had a fair idea of what its work for the year was.

The Chairperson made reference to the Committee’s study tour to Ghana and Indonesia planned for the period 20 July – 3 August 2010. There would be six Committee members undertaking the trip. The breakdown would be four members from the ANC, one from the DA and one member from the remaining political parties in the Committee. The remaining one member would either be from COPE or the IFP.

Ms Mbikane suggested that a practical visit to Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy (PALAMA) and SITA for example could be undertaken. It was part of the Committee’s oversight function.

The Chairperson replied that this would be possible.

The Committee accepted the Programme.

The meeting was adjourned.