Question NW520 to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
19 March 2021 - NW520
De Villiers, Mr JN to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
(1)Whether any staff member in her department (a) performed work in addition to the responsibilities related to his or her work, outside normal working hours, in the past five financial years and (b) has been performing such work during the period 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, in each case, how is it determined whether such work is being performed or not; if so, in each case, (i) what number of staff members and (ii) in what job or work categories are the specified staff members employed; (2) whether approval for such work was obtained in each case; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the policy of her department in this regard, (b) by whom are such applications considered and approved, (c) what number of contraventions of this policy were brought to the attention of the National Treasury in the past five financial years and (d) what steps have been taken against the transgressors?
Reply:
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
1. (a) I have been informed by the Department that there were 168 employees who applied for remunerative work in the Department over the past 5 financial years. Through investigation, 2 employees were found to perform remunerative work without approval.
(b) 1 April 2014 to date is more than 5 financial years and the legislation changed with the implementation of the amended Public Service Regulations, 2016.
(i) The list of employees below applied for approval for RWOPS per financial year:
|
Financial Year |
Number |
|
2016/2017 |
8 |
|
2017/2018 |
11 |
|
2018/2019 |
70 |
|
2019/2020 |
58 |
|
2020/2021 |
21 |
ii Employees per category per financial year:
|
Financial Year |
Category |
Number |
|
2016/2017 |
SMS Below SMS |
3 5 |
|
2017/2018 |
SMS Below SMS |
1 10 |
|
2018/2019 |
SMS Below SMS |
8 62 |
|
2019/2020 |
SMS Below SMS |
7 51 |
|
2020/2021 |
SMS Below SMS |
3 18 |
*The 2 employees that did not have approval: 1 SMS and 1 below SMS.
2. Approval was obtained for 168 employees to perform other remunerative work outside the Public Service.
a) Approval was granted in line with the Public Service Act Section 30, Public Service Regulations, 2016, the Directive on other remunerative work outside the employee’s employment in the relevant Department, Directive on conducting business with an organ of state and recently in 2020 the Department of Public Service and Administration also issued a guide on the management of other remunerative work in the Public Service.
b) The Director-General approved levels below Senior Management and the Minister Senior Managers.
c) None of the 2 employees that were in contravention were brought to the attention of National Treasury.
d) Verbal and Written warnings were issued to the two affected employees.