Question NW920 to the Minister of Public Service and Administration
14 April 2023 - NW920
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)What (a) total number of funded posts are currently vacant in the Public Service and (b) is the breakdown of the specified number (i) nationally and (ii) in each provincial department; (2) (a) what are the reasons that the funded posts are currently vacant and (b) by what date is it envisaged that the vacant positions will be filled?
Reply:
1. (a) According to PERSAL data as at 31 December 2022, the total number of funded posts that are currently vacant in the Public Service stood at 166 365.
b) The breakdown of the specified number of vacant funded posts nationally and in each provincial department is presented (as at 31 December 2022) in the attached Annexure A.
|
National |
38 151 |
|
Provinces |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
31 062 |
|
Free State |
2 849 |
|
Gauteng |
23 687 |
|
KwaZulu-Natal |
22 267 |
|
Limpopo |
13 226 |
|
Mpumalanga |
6 336 |
|
North West |
10 564 |
|
Northern Cape |
5 186 |
|
Western Cape |
13 037 |
2.(a) Departments have in the past reported the following causes and challenges that cause delays in the filling of vacancies:
(i) Managing the prioritisation of posts to be filled due to budget constraints or reprioritization of funds.
(ii) Competition with private sector with regard to appointment of registered OSD professionals and technicians. It was mentioned that it is not easy to recruit and attract some of those skills due to scarcity in the job market in line with the inherent job requirements. Current serving staff under this category are not keen to register, which further hampers existing staff mobility and utilization in higher level posts.
(iii) The departments have previously raised the matter of internal and external administrative challenges, which ultimately delay the finalisation of appointments. The prescribed pre-employment verifications were also raised. However, departments did not provide substantive proof of such delays.
(iv) There has been a process of settling down following the determinations issued regarding merged departments impacted by the National Macro-Organisation of Government. The affected departments were required to develop macro-structures and finalise placements as per Resolution 1 of 2019.
(b) In terms of Regulation 65(7) of the Public Service Regulations,2016 a funded vacant post shall be advertised within six (6) months after becoming vacant and be filled within twelve months after becoming vacant.
End