Hansard: NA: Mini-plenary 4
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 20 May 2021
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
UNREVISED HANSARD
MINI PLENARY - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THURSDAY, 20 MAY 2021
Watch video here: Vote No 1 - Public Service And Administration, Vote 7 -
National School Of Gov and Vote 12 - Public Service Commission
PROCEEDINGS OF MINIPLENARY SESSION – NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Members of the mini-plenary session met in the on the virtual platform in the National Assembly Chamber at 16:30.
The House Chairperson (Mr M L D Ntombela) took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
ANNOUNCEMENT
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M L D Ntombela): Hon members, before we proceed I would like to remind you that the virtual mini- plenary is deemed to be in the precinct of Parliament and constitutes a meeting of National Assembly for debating purposes only.
In addition to the rules of virtual sittings, the Rules of the National Assembly, including the rules of debate, apply.
Members enjoy the same powers and privileges that apply in a sitting of the National Assembly. Members should equally note that anything said in the virtual platform is deemed to have been said to the House and may be ruled upon.
All members who have logged in shall be considered to be present; and are requested to mute their microphones and only unmute when recognized to speak. This is because the mics are very sensitive and will pick up noise which might disturb the attention of other members. When recognized to speak, please unmute your microphone and connect your video.
Members may make use of the icons on the bar at the bottom of their screens, which has an option that allows a member to put up his/her hand to raise points of order. The secretariat will assist in alerting the Chairperson to members requesting to speak.
When using the virtual system members are urged to refrain or desist from unnecessary points of order or interjections.
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Policy debate)
Debate on vote 11, 7 & 12: Public Service and Administration:
The MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION: Hon House
Chairperson; Deputy Minister for the Public Service and Administration, PSA, hon Sindisiwe Chikunga; Ministers and Deputy Ministers in attendance; hon Members of Parliament, in particular the Chairperson and Members of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration; Chairpersons of the Public Service Commission and Government Employees Medical Aid Scheme, GEMS; our esteemed guests; ladies and gentlemen; director-general as well as the Chairperson of the African Peer Review Mechanism, APRM, National Governing Council; Chairperson of the Public Sector Education & Training Authority; fellow South Africans; dumelang [good day].
Hon House Chair, thank you for this opportunity to present the budget vote of the portfolio.
In July 2019, shortly after being appointed, we presented the budget vote of the DPSA highlighting five key priorities within the department, namely: the resistant fault lines in public service administration; full implementation of Public Administration Management Act, PAMA; achieving higher levels of stability in the public service; fighting corruption; and implementation, including implementation of policy.
It was clear that we needed to intensify our efforts in identifying opportunities to make progress on the five priorities but also for more challenges and address them. Overall, the quality of public service requires consistent and sustainable improvement.
Our theme this year is: “Towards an ethical, capable and developmental state - a critical look at the public service space”
This flows from the President’s intervention in the 2021 state
of the nation address where the President said:
We remain on course to build a capable and professional civil service that delivers on its mandate and is accountable to the South African people.
South Africa’s aspirations as an ethical, capable and developmental state should be understood in the context of a nation yearning for better life, post liberation. This resonates well with a consolidated meaning of such as a state with capacity to intervene in the economy, sustainable development, effecting sustainable programmes to address unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment, with attention on vulnerable groups in society. We are convinced that all of this is within reach. This is what we mean by a capable, ethical and capable developmental state.
There have been louder, more decisive calls for accountability, transparency, improved performance, citizenry satisfaction and government legitimacy. This will require a sober and a well balanced approach which will enable us to advance and meet the expectations placed on us by the people of South Africa.
Public service in South Africa must now rise to the occasion and come of age and be accountable on its own, in its own right!
2. TRANSFORMATION
The post-apartheid public service had to be transformed from being tailor-made to suit a racist state and its dark objectives to one that would serve our newly acquired democracy and put its people first. The transformation has gone relatively well and South Africa has achieved a lot in this regard.
Indeed, the general orientation of public service today, is serving all the people of South Africa without discrimination of any form, but, of course, the question confronting us today is: Whether the public service is ethical, whether it has integrity and whether it is capacitated to serve the needs and interests of a developmental state? That’s the challenge of the public service sector in South Africa as a whole, inside and outside government.
We need to be bold and open to the fact that the image of public service today, notwithstanding its general orientation that I’ve referred to about, is still tainted by a number of negative perceptions such as low professionalism, low innovation and productivity, low level of skills and qualifications; laziness ...
IsiZulu:
... ubuvila ...
Setswana:
... go tswafa ...
English:
... incompetence and corruption.
Secondly, it still has traits of low capacity to translate public pronouncements into actionable policy and delivery in the interests of the people. The other perception that continues to stigmatise the public service is a sub-culture of sophisticated capture and corruption.
I may as well pose this question to our accounting officers and supply chain managers: Do all our Accounting Officers and Supply Chain Managers have resilience against rot and corruption? Is anyone guilty among them? This is a question that they and ourselves need to confront.
If the desired impact of a transformed public service is to be felt, the current situation of a declining economy and the state of the fiscus need to improve for the better, we are pointing to the context and the environment in which a transformed public service will thrive!
There are a number of interventions that we are implementing to correct all the above situations and deal with it for the better.
The first intervention of the few that we want to highlight is the implementation of the single public administration. The three spheres of government are required to provide effective, transparent, accountable and coherent governance in the country. This requires that the spheres respect each other’s powers and functions, while striving to work together in a
meaningful way to maximise service delivery that has impact on the citizens.
South Africa needs a single public administration and a single public service. The broad objective of the single public administration and service is to improve the state capacity and capability in accordance with the National Development Plan, NDP, and the objectives of section 195 of the Constitution.
The single public administration does not seek to undermine the distinctiveness of local government as a sphere, rather, it seeks to improve the manner in which the spheres interrelate and to provide for the harmonisation of systems, conditions of service and norms between the public service in the national and provincial spheres on the one hand and the municipalities on the other. And I need to highlight the need to harmonise the conditions of service in South Africa as opposed to the fragmentation that we have at the moment. The creation of a single public administration seeks to correct and harmonise unnecessary fragmentations, as it were.
To this end, the Public Administration Management Bill facilitates and transforms systems and mechanisms for service delivery to ensure that there is smooth and seamless service delivery at and between all spheres of government through the alignment of human resource, governance and related arrangements in the three spheres of government which all should result into improved accountability.
The second intervention we are getting into is the review of the public space. There is an urgent need to review the current dispensation in the public service and in our view we need a transitional period to a new dispensation. In other words, we need a period, a couple of months, maybe a year or two, where we rationalise the public space looking at how it is functioning and what it is delivering, looking at difficulties we’ve experienced by now and review those.
But there are four principles that need to underline the envisaged conditions of service, namely: fairness, equity, affordability and transparency. So, whatever we do, these are the principles that will inform us and lead us as we review the public space.
The current dispensation does not promote workable relations within the public service space, instead, it encourages strained relations and unnecessary antagonism. We welcome the idea of a summit on public service in South Africa and are committed to it. Currently, government and organised labour in the public service are in negotiations and we hope that the parties will find one another.
Apart from the four principles identified above, our analysis of the public service space is that there are four components that must be considered all the time when grappling with issues in the public service, namely:
First component is the citizens. They are the first law, the citizens of this country, they are the first law, they are Alpha and Omega. The dominant perception of citizens of this country about government, about the services they receive and about public servants is not wholly positive, and we are worried about this. They also generally do not wholly feature as citizens of this country in the public service space and debates and any other developments, except as complainants, as demonstrators and as victims of one kind or another of many
negative social forces. This needs to be corrected! Citizens of this country need to occupy their legitimate space in the public service and we need to hear their voices and they need to make their presence felt, in a positive way, in the public service space
Second component is government. Government’s main currency is legitimacy, honesty, trust, accountability and delivery on undertakings. Of these, government needs to feature most positively in the public service space. If government loses legitimacy, for instance, it loses honesty, trust, accountability and it doesn’t deliver on its undertakings, then it ceases to be recognizable and it loses its currency.
The third component are the services themselves, and the services are the content of the contract between the citizens and their government. So, people elect their government and government comes into office and then there is a contract whose content is the services that will be rendered by government to the citizens. And these need to be measured in both extend and quality. But currently they’re just a mixed bag, in other words there are negatives and positives, and are
characterised by, amongst others, by negativity in relation to services to the poor, needy and vulnerable. In other words, the people who are vulnerable and poor are kind of short- changed, in a way.
The last component are the public servants themselves. While certain negative perceptions exist and persist about public servants, as alluded to earlier on, it is correct to say that in practice and in reality the majority of public servants in South Africa are hardworking, honest, dedicated and they service their people with every attention that this work requires. And we want to encourage this positive attributes of public servants in the country. And we want those who are dedicated to distance themselves and distance public service from those who are prone to wrongdoing.
We would want to state for the record that we do not have overall a bloated public service in South Africa, however, we need to address the public wage bill and increase the number of public servants in some sectors like education, police and health, to count a few.
The next intervention is around the Government Employees Housing Scheme, GEHS. The current Government Employees Housing Scheme remains a challenge, especially in relation to the following: It currently only benefits just above 300 000 public servants, where it could be benefiting even more. And we want to recruit more;
Although initiated with good intentions, it doesn’t have favourable provisions with regard to loans, terms of repayment and interest rates;
It is not designed to accommodate various, problematic financial situations which some public servants find themselves in;
It doesn’t address other various needs such as temporal location as a result of work and so on;
Terms in relation to other stakeholders are also problematic, as they obtain now. What we are doing currently is that the department is embarking on corrective measures in this regard and the matter will be discussed very soon at the Public
Service Coordinating Bargaining Council, PSCBC, so that all current weaknesses and gaps are addressed and we come with a better dispensation in terms of the scheme and the one that will be catering for the interests of public servants.
The next intervention is on the Human Resource Development Strategic Framework. The overall objective of the Human Resource Development Strategic Framework – that we are introducing - is to contribute towards the achievement of an ethical, capable and developmental State through the establishment of policies, structures and operational processes necessary for developing capable and high performing employees.
It aims to anchor and focus the various interventions by departments aimed at building the capacity of public servants by providing direction in the form of key strategic objectives, key focus areas, potential activities which can be undertaken to achieve the objectives and the expected performance indicators which will manifest when the framework is implemented as envisaged. Currently, we are consulting on
the Framework and in two months it will be presented to Cabinet.
The next issue is the Public Service Amendment Bill. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, provides that within the public administration there is a public service, which must inter alia, be structured in terms of national legislation. The Public Service Act dates back to 1994 and whilst there have been amendments to it, the ever evolving times we live in necessitate the need to have a complete review of the legal prescripts which govern the public service.
Some of the areas currently addressed in the Public Service Amendment Bill include: augmentation of the functions of the director-general in the Presidency to include the functions envisaged by the NDP for an administrative head of the public service, powers assigned to executive authorities and heads of department and an amendment to section 38 to provide an alternate mechanism for departments to lawfully deduct overpaid remuneration from an employee’s salary, where such occur.
The next intervention is via the Auditor-General’s office. Financial misconduct arising from corruption, fraud, fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure and theft need to be addressed and curbed once and for all in South Africa. To this end, we expect the Auditor-General to assert their position and intensify their actions as empowered by the Public Audit Act.
We cannot continue to have these negative actualities characterise our government. Over and above this expectation is that all executive authorities, that is Ministers, Deputy Ministers and MECs, will take responsibility for their audit outcomes and apply the relevant consequence management processes because fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure; and is no longer a rhetoric, there has to be consequence and we’ll make sure that there are consequences.
As a lead department, in compliance matters, we are happy to report to this House that we have achieved a clean audit in the past financial year and in all our components!
Discipline Management is another intervention. With effect from 1 April 2019, through a Proclamation issued by the President, section 15 of PAMA became operational, resulting in the establishment of the Public Administration, Ethics, Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit, TAU, which is tasked with, amongst others, building capacity within institutions to initiate and institute disciplinary proceedings into misconduct.
Two critical and recent contributions by this Unit include the rollout of the Guide to Implement Lifestyle Audits in the Public Service and the Guide on Managing Discipline in the Public Service. In addition, we have established the Discipline Management Hotline as an initiative to assist both employees and departments to manage discipline matters and tomorrow we’ll be dealing with the analysis of the hotline up to now so that we can act on what has come via the hotline.
What are the expected outcomes for all these interventions and others?
Generally, we are expecting that these interventions will maximize good practices in the public service; optimisation on efficiency; a balance between improvements in conditions of service and service delivery to the citizens; and the achievement of a sustainable budget to accomplish government’s economic recovery plan.
Impact of COVID-19 on delivery of services. COVID-19 has taught us a number of valuable lessons: firstly, it has shown us the capability of public servants, in that, more work can be done with a lesser staff complement but also, officials are able to work from home;
Secondly, evidencing that equipping public servants with the relevant tools of trade is a vital and beneficial investment;
Thirdly, one of the biggest weaknesses we have discovered is the lack of a ‘Remote working policy’, one that will ensure the regularity of this aspect in the public service even beyond COVID-19. The department is at work compiling such a policy.
In addition to this, one of the other lessons is the need to fast-track our technological advances, given the progression of 4IR, the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
South Africa is a Member State of the African Peer Review Mechanism, APRM, and is currently the Chair of the APRM and has the Minister for Public Service and Administration serving as Chair of the APR Committee of Focal Points. In other words, the APRM Chair in the continent is the President of the Republic and the Minister is the APR Chair of the Committee of Focal Points in the continent
Most Member States in the continent have embraced the mechanism, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, becoming the 41st Member State to voluntarily accede to the mechanism. We are striving for universal accession by 2023, and this, we are on the drive and we’re hoping that it will happen.
Back home, the National Governing Council, NGC, is fully functional and has developed the draft of the country’s self- assessment report. Consultations on the APRM Base Report that
was adopted by the National Governing Council on 17 March 2021 are currently underway to ensure that South Africa completes its 2nd Generation Country Review process by the end of this financial year.
The other programme of the DPSA is the E-Government Services and Information Management, which the Deputy Minister will deal with later. The Deputy Minister will also reflect on other entities that support the work of the department.
In an effort to improve the capacity of public servants, the mandate of the National School of Government, NSG, was expanded to the three spheres of government, state-owned enterprises as well as the legislative sector. As a strategy, the NSG has sought to partner with a number of public higher education institutions and there is progress.
The NSG is implementing a service delivery model and is in the process of developing a service delivery charter to confirm its commitments and standards to service delivery.
New innovative features that the NSG has introduced are webinars, which are gaining popularity among public servants as well as the master classes. It was a proud moment for the Ministry and the NSG when, for the first time, a sitting President and a number of Ministers and Deputy Ministers attended a master class held by the NSG. This event was televised live on national TV.
IsiZulu:
...bekuwuphaphe lolu, uphaphe emsebenzini owenziwa isikole sikahulumeni esibizwa ngokuthi ...
English:
National School of Government, and we’re proud of that
The future positioning of the NSG points to a digital future, fast tracked by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NSG is now at a point of no return. Mindful of the fact that many public servants may not be able to access digital learning, the NSG is continuing to pursue interventions for zero-rating applications for its online programmes. This is appreciated.
With regard to the professionalization of the public service, I wish to inform you that Cabinet approved the publication of the draft national Implementation Framework on November 2020, and it was subsequently published for public comments, and work is continuing in this regard. [Time expired.] Thank you very much.
Mr T H JAMES: Hon Chairperson and hon members, the National Development Plan charges us with the responsibility to work towards building a developmental state that seeks to effect economic transformation, reduce inequality, decentralise the economy, ensure the state participation strategic sectors and partnership with the private sector and the advance of the employment particularly of women and the youth.
The ANC is deeply committed in the vision for a capable and developmental state which is characterised by a capable autonomous meritocracy, political leadership oriented towards development a clause and often mutual beneficial symbiotic relationship between some state agencies and market forces and successful policy intervention that promote growth.
Transforming South Africa into a developmental state will require building critical and necessary capabilities to foster an environment which mobilises government and non-government contribution to realise changes in the socioeconomic structures and the culture of society. Furthermore, we must ensure that the political administrative interface is managed effectively, combat fraud and corruption in the public and private sectors and provide a clear rational for Public Service governance systems.
We remain committed to the implementation of the steps that were identified in the Integrated Development Plan, IDP, and to promote values and principles of public administration as enshrined in the Constitution. Furthermore, the National Development Olan, NDP, highlighted the need for a well-run and effectively co-ordinated space institution which skilled public servants who are committed to the public good and capable of delivery consistently high quality services while prioritising the nation’s development objective.
Building human capital to the development and retention of a qualified and capable Public Service is important for the
developmental state because it allows it to pursue its developmental objectives in order to foster sustainable and more inclusive growth. A capable Public Service also has the ability to be innovative and resolve modern day challenges in a manner that safes time, energy and resources. This means that we can foster a culture of specialisation and focus on maximising areas where the Public Service has the competitive advantage.
With a capable Public Service, the limited resources of government will be channelled towards better service delivery and pursuit of developmental objectives.
Hon members, unevenness in capacity turns to lead to uneven performance in the Public Service. This unevenness is caused by a complex set of factors including tensions in the political administrative interface. Instability of administration leadership, skills deficit, insufficient attention to the role of the state in reproducing the skills it needs, the erosion of ability and authority, poverty and poor organisational design and lower start morale.
Steps are needed to strengthen the skills, enhance morale, clarified lines of accountability and build an ethos of Public Service. This steps are guided by the need for long term policy stability as well as awareness of potentially adverse effects of over regulations.
In 2016, the department developed the Public Administration Management Regulations on conducting business with the state. The disclosure of financial interest and setting up the ethics, integrity and discipline, technical assistance units as well as office of the Standards and Compliance Regulations in terms of section 18 of Public Administration Act, PAMA. We must commend the department for the new and improved Z83 form which came into effect this year. This new system limit those who are doing business with the state from being in the Public Service. There is also a need for an e-enables system for self-diagnosis and compliance audit towards measurement instruments of the all fees of standards and compliance. The organisational functionality assessment tool is being consolidated to measure institutional governance as well as organisational administration.
With the global digitalisation clearly indicating that the public administration is mostly affected by the Fourth Industrial Revolution trends owing to the old and often outdated ways of thinking, work and policies, the department will be leading digital transformation of the Public Service. Some of the key intervention in this regard will include developing the required prescripts to enable and support the digital transformation of the public administration. This will ensure that government is a key economic enabler and player that positively benefits from digitalisation.
Improvement in service delivery will always requires adherence to Batho Pele policy and the Public Service Charter and strict monitoring thereof. In addressing the gaps and weaknesses, the department will over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period institutionalise a number of integrated intervention which include amongst others the strengthening of the implementation of the Operations Management Framework and Service Delivery Improvement Plans as well as a device programme to strengthen the implementation of the Batho Pele programme.
Hon members, the development and retention of skills should be an apex priority if we want to build an efficient, effective Public Service. This has been a challenge in our case. There is a need to improve on the monitoring and evaluation of capacity to ensure that state institutions are well run and effectively co-ordinated.
They must be managed by professionals who are committed to the goals of the developmental state and are capable of delivering services consistently and regular in high quality.
Accordingly, the strategic focus of the department for 2021-22 include amongst other things, developing resolutions to enable the full implementation of Public Administration Management Act reviewing the Public Service Act and related policies were required which will be done concurrently with the department of the Single Public Service Administration Bill improving the implementation of the Batho Pele Principles by ensuring that there are measurable standards in place, fighting corruption by inculcating a culture of accountability, ethical and professionals standards of all civil servants as well as
strengthening, discipline management within the Public Service.
The implementation of these strategic priorities will improve service delivery and Parliament oversight can ensure that these priorities are implemented.
Hon members, this budget comes against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic in which not only the lives and health of our people is placed at risk but also our economic situation has worsened globally. This has called and created the need for a responsive government which is able to addressed the various demands for services at all levels of the Public Service. This budget in our view is appreciative of the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and attempt to response to that.
As the ANC, we are deeply concerned about the economic situation muted by the realities of Covid-19 in which Statistics SA reported that in the second quarter of 2020-21 about 2,2 million people lost their jobs. The ultimate impact of this is that it would shrink the resources in the
government and we will have to resort to other alternatives such as the budget cut and borrowing from capital market in order to stay afloat and we would struggle in maintaining the Public Service. It is in that context that we welcome this budget.
The department overall budget allocation for 2021-22 is R526,2 million compared to the adjusted allocation of
R468,9 million after the advent of Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. We are heartened by the fact that the main cause drivers of the department are administration followed by government services access and improvement and negotiations, labour relations and remuneration management. This will significantly increase capacity in the Public Service and bring about stability.
The increase in allocation towards Programme 3 which is given R99,1 million increase from the previous allocation of
R69 million in June 2020-21. This increase by R30,1 million is a good sign that there is commitment to addressing contradictions in the way negotiations .... The ANC support the budget Vote 11.
Dr L A SCHREIBER: Hon Chairperson, if there is one thing South Africa certainly does not want for, it is politicians who can deliver ongoing long winded speeches about how South Africa would be soon be turned into the land of milk and honey overnight. That is exactly we have just had from Minister Mchunu who promised us for the up ting fund that this time around it would not just be rhetoric.
This current administration which came to power in May 2019, is entirely build on telling people what they want to hear. In the two years since the election, all we have heard about is bullet trains, smart cities about corruption clean ups and a professional public service.
We have read thousands of words in the President’s newsletters. We have heard hundreds of promises from Minister Mchunu. In fact, if words were all it took all the bellies of hungry children and the bank accounts of the people, South Africa would be heaven on earth. However, sadly, people cannot eat words. They cannot pay their home loans with promises, and flowery prose is of little use against an armed criminal.
This government will soon find that words can only go so far. As South Africans look around them every day, they ask themselves what has actually gotten done since this administration took office?
As the eco of empty promise slowly fades from their ears, they see only growing hardship and increasing corruption. They see that nothing gets done in South Africa anymore.
In ANC-run municipalities they see potholes that that swallow up vehicles hole and sewerage running down their streets. They see businesses shutting down, because the government monopoly cannot turn coal into electricity.
It is all a far cry from a glittering vision promised by that false dawn. The same applies to the public service. Two years later, we still hear the same endless promise to fight corruption and professionalise the civil service. Two years later, we still hear the same promise to reduce a gigantic Public Sector Wage Bill that threatens to sink our economy.
But what has actually gotten done?
Just yesterday, the DA revealed that nine of every 10 officials flagged for corruption by the public service commission last year got away scot free. Nothing ever gets done. While the government talks in evermore desperate tones on supposedly professionalising the civil service, President Ramaphosa last month doubled down on the evil policy of cadre deployment in front of the Zondo Commission. Nothing ever gets done. And we still hearing in every Budget Speech about the supposed commitment to reducing the Public Sector Wage Bill.
In reality that commitment shovelled up and died faster than
Minister Mboweni’s por ello.
At the start of this week we learnt that the ANC has caved to their radical union allies as we always knew they would.
Instead of the long promised cuts to the Wage Bill, they now plan to increase the Wage Bill by at least R15,6 billion.
Nothing ever gets done!
The gap between this government’s rhetoric and the South African reality has become a gaping chasm. When you cut through all of the hot air that wafts out of the Union
Buildings, the reality is clear, this government is incapable of getting anything done. It is like they are chucked in another universe where simply promising something automatically gets it done. But on this side of the veil, we all know that is not how life works. Things gets done through a process that must seem like magic to the ANC whereby hard work turns words into concrete results.
The good news for South Africa is that everyone knows that there is one party in this country that does get things done. That party runs the only financially sustainable city in the country. That party runs the only province in South Africa and it is moving forward, rather than backwards. That party ensures that competent people are employed to collect your rubbish on time, fix the potholes in the street and make sure that there is running water in your taps.
That party, the party that gets things done is called the DA. It is a party on the move that is now looking to get even more done than ever before. Just like we get service delivery done in municipalities. It is the only party that is determined to
end load shedding, restore public transport and unleash the power of private enterprise where we govern.
Chairperson, because we are the only party with a proven record of delivery, the DA is the only party that can get the reforms done that our public sector so desperately needs.
While the President defends cadre deployment at every opportunity he gets, the DA has already has already the End Cadre Deployment Bill. This Bill which is currently out for public consultation, has received an overwhelming support. Hundreds of South Africans have written submissions and thousands have voiced their support through a public petition.
I want to make it very clear to this House today that we will not relent in our fight against this evil system which is the very foundation of state capture. I also invite everyone to keep an eye on their favourite newspapers over the coming for proof of just how committed the DA is to getting the eradication of cadre deployment done.
The DA also has a plan to get cuts to the Wage Bill done. Instead of appeasing union radicals at the cost of bankrupting South Africa, we have already sent our alternative proposal to Minister Mchunu. Rather than continuing to reward millionaire cadres who do little more than sit in air-conditioned offices all day, we will get it done by protecting frontline service delivery workers, whilst still reducing the Wage Bill by
R168 billion. This is the only way to get cuts to the Wage Bill done in a fair, just and sustainable way.
Chairperson, they say that lovers of words have no place where hard work needs to be done. It is common course that few would never compete with our current President and his Cabinet in their passionate love for words. However, it is also clear that this government has no place where things actually needs to get done.
To South Africans I want to say, by all means go out there and enjoy the factional fracture playing out in the ANC. Giggle at the empty promises and the speeches filled with soviet euro jargon. In fact, go out and enjoy the weird and wonderful panoply of empty words offered by all other political parties
in South Africa. I would never begrudge anyone such quality entertainment. However, just remember when you drive home from a long-day of listening to all that noise, you will want to do so on roads that are paved or on trains that still have tracks beneath them. When you get home, you will want to open the tap and switch on the oven to cook dinner for your family. Just remember that words will not help you achieve any of that.
Words do not fix roads, generate electricity or grow the economy. Only a government that can get things done can do that. If you want to actually get things done, if you want your rubbish picked up, electricity in your home and a competent public service from cadre deployment, then the DA is the party for you. For where all the others only talk we get things done. Thank you.
Ms C C S MOTSEPE: Thank you very much, hon Chairperson and all the mightier economic freedom fighters. Chairperson, the Department of Public Service and Administration no longer exist for the purpose and mandate which it was intended for at the beginning. They are always told that the ruling party is working hard to create a developmental state but all we see is
a ruling party working hard to steal our tax money while state capacity degenerates.
Public servants were trained and capable for delivery of services are forced to push tender papers every day while majority of the work is outsourced to contractors and consultants. We have a state that occupies itself with tender papers every day. We have more than 2,1 million public servants and the majority of these people are occupied with tenders. Some will even forget the training they received.
These are the very same tenders that comrades in the ruling party dish to their friends and families. The EFF has provided clear, practical and contingent plans on what is to be done to reposition the public service.
This is informed by our cardinal pillar number 3, which is; building enough state and government capacity which will lead to the abolishment of tenders. This is the only way we will rebuild our healthcare system and our education system. This is the only way we will rebuild government public works, to fix roads, water system, clean our streets, manage our dump sites, rebuild our emergency and medical systems.
We will rebuild our government, a socialist government that will be led by workers, serve workers and ensure service delivery. Our people have seen enough and they have waited long enough ... [Inaudible.] ... and they deserve a public service that works. We need to begin with this work, now. We must begin with this work by insourcing security services, cleaning services, gardening services, general maintenance of buildings and refurbishments. We must insource catering services in correctional services, hospitals and school nutrition programmes. We must insource all government transport services for hospital patients transport and all other transport services. We must insource all information technology services, auditing services, administration services and any another services that will allow workers to receive salaries in dignity.
The Minister is misguided to suggest that government does not have money. It is foolish and workers should not listen to this limited understanding of how economic and banking works. The government must pay the workers for what was agreed in the past. We cannot allow such undermining bargaining labour resolutions. While government ... [Inaudible.] ... was agreed,
workers must not accept a no salary increase. There must be salary increase for workers and for the good of the economy. We know that unions negotiations are compromised and we call all workers to be vigilant. Workers must get a salary ... [Inaudible.] ... for electricity and all other services have increased and they cannot afford to live with a salary of 2010 in 2021.
We will not say much about the so-called national schools of government. We are aware that there are people who have created a nice space for themselves and their friends to continue to earn monies they don’t deserve. We are aware of the contracts that are discussed at homes and when they are advertised they are already awarded. Many of these are awarded to former white officials. The only way to get rid of this is through building the state capacity. So, the EFF rejects this budget. I thank you.
Mr N SINGH: Hon Chairperson, I will do it on behalf of hon Cebekhulu. He is having some problems. I didn’t want to do this but because another hon member — the hon Schreiber — has been referring to elections, and we know elections are a few
months away from us now and we all suffer from a disease called ‘electitis’, I think he must be more selective when he chooses his battles with political parties that are not succeeding in governance. Because he says, you know, empty words by all other political parties in South Africa ...
Service delivery is only given by the DA. I just want to remind him that the IFP is also in control of many municipalities and service delivery is par excellence. I think the by-election results of yesterday prove who is on the losing side and who is on the winning side because the IFP has done extremely well, winning its wards that it had and even taking a ward from the ruling party, the ANC, in Maphumulo, which means we are going to control that municipality soon.
So, I’m just reminding him — probably he’s a new Member of Parliament — just choose your parties carefully when you say some of these things in public. So, I wanted to get the records right.
Secondly, on behalf of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi and the IFP caucus, we want to offer our sincere condolences on the passing of Prof Sangweni who was described as an outstanding public servant and we know that he was a retired chairperson
of the Public Service Commission, PSC, — the debate we are having today — from 1994 to 2009. May his soul rest in peace. And, may the soul of hon Tongwane, our colleague, rest in peace as well.
The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has placed an economic strain on our resources. However, it cannot be used as an excuse for failing to use available government funds effectively and economically, as our government is constitutionally mandated to do.
We therefore need to carefully analyse how these resources are used to serve the public in these strenuous times. The National School of Government’s, NSG’s, funding has been severely impacted by the pandemic. The NSG’s education, training and development initiatives fulfil an important role in providing public servants with desperately needed human resource skills.
According to the Auditor-General’s consolidated report, the human resource management of 39% of government departments was still of concern. We therefore cannot allow the NSG’s training
programme to be compromised and we would support the committee’s recommendation that the NSG should continue to engage National Treasury on exploring alternative funding models and especially use e-online resources effectively and efficiently to provide their training programmes.
The hon Minister spoke about auditing. Now, it’s a shame that we get such kind of audit reports from many of our government departments and municipalities — unqualified disclaimers, adverse reports — because Minister, you should ensure that we have something called an administration service, like in India where they have an Indian administration service. All civil servants have to get a degree there, but particularly in the financial sector. Many of these reports are because officials are not doing the basic job right in the financial department. So please Minister, focus on financial training in the school. I think we will get better audit results.
As far as the budget of the department ... we need to remind ourselves of this department’s mandate yet again. The department is mandated to put in place mechanisms and structures to support departments, and importantly, develop
their professional ethos. However, the department is glaringly slow to put in place such mechanisms and structures. The department has been assigned to develop guidelines for lifestyle audits in the Public Service. ... hasn’t been done. The development of such guidelines has been talked about for years. This was already a subject for discussion in the debate on the state of the nation address in Parliament in 2018. This cannot simply be further delayed.
The PSC’s custodial oversight of the Public Service is critical in ensuring that public administration adheres to constitutional principles. It is therefore imperative that the draft Public Service Commission Bill, which was recently published by the Minister for public comment, should be fast- tracked. We support the recommendation that this should happen.
Lastly, we need to remind ourselves that the cost of corruption and misgovernance is felt deepest by our most vulnerable citizens who are highly dependent on a functioning government for the most basic services. We cannot allow any loopholes in enforcing accountability in the public sector. We
will support this budget because we believe that this department has a lot of work to do in training our public servants adequately. We wish them well in the wage negotiations and we hope that both parties work in the interest of the country at large. Thank you, Chairperson.
Ms H DENNER: House Chairperson, just as what we are doing here
today has its origin in legislation and most importantly, the Constitution of our Republic, so does the values and
principles that must ultimately govern public administration.
Section 195 of the Constitution lists as necessary the following values and principles: A high standard of
professional ethics that must be promoted and maintained; efficient economic and effective use of resources;
transparency that must be promoted by providing the public
with timely, accessible and accurate information; and equally, if not most importantly, public administration must be
accountable, to name but a few. These values and principles apply to every sphere of government, organs of state and state-owned entities.
Constitutional values and principles on all levels of public administration are not negotiable and should be present, promoted and maintained. This is fact, but does it happen in the Public Service or is the government treating the
Constitution of South Africa as a mere guideline on which the preambles and introductions of reports and legislation can be
based, only to be forgotten the moment it comes to the
implementation and practice thereof?
Afrikaans:
Voorsitter, die feite spreek vanself. Staatsamptenare wat
besigheid met die staat doen is aan die toeneem. Hoewel die Departement van Staatsdiens en Administrasie gereeld verslag
doen oor pogings om hierdie gewraakte praktyk hok te slaan, kom daar meestal dadels daarvan. Die nommers is aan die
toeneem. Gerapporteerde gevalle neem toe en dit is net dié
waarvan ons weet. In hierdie geval is daar dus min van die sogenaamde hoë standaard en professionele etiek wat van die
openbare administrasie verwag word, te sien.
English:
The promotion of transparency by providing the public with timely, accessible and accurate information leaves much to be desired in practice. Self-set performance targets by departments; half-baked explanations for nonperformance and
noncompliance; the dragging of feet by departments and municipalities with the provision of information to the
public, which should be readily available even upon request in
terms of the Promotion of Access to Information legislation; and the quality of socioeconomic impact assessments by
departments signed off by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, is reprehensible.
Afrikaans:
Verantwoordbaarheid van die openbare sektor, oftewel die tekort daaraan, is een van die hoofredes vir die chaotiese
toestand waarin die land en spesifiek dienslewering aan gewone
Suid-Afrikaners tans verkeer.
English:
If the Department of Public Service and Administration addresses only the lack of accountability and consequence management in the Public Service, it will be the first and
probably the most important step towards improving government efficiency and service delivery.
Afrikaans:
Die huidige loongeskil en dreigende openbare-sektor staking as gevolg daarvan is die mees ongewenste situasie moontlik vir
die tyd waarin die land homself tans bevind. Die loongeskil,
wat grootliks, in die eerste plek veroorsaak is deur ondeurdagte massa-aanstellings in departemente, en tweedens
lafhartige loononderhandelinge, het nou die algehele gebrek aan verstandige regering in Suid-Afrika tot ‘n spits gedryf.
Suid-Afrika kan nie ‘n massastaking bekostig nie, nog minder
kan die fiskus dit bekostig om aan vakbond vereistes van ‘n 8,3% verhoging te voldoen nie. Die huidige aanbod van ’n 1,5%
deur die bank verhoging met ‘n addisionele kontantbetaling van
R978 is onsinvol en sal dit meer sin maak om sleutel staatsamptenare — die wat regtig ’n verskil maak — soos
dokters, verpleegsters, polisie, onderwysers, maatskaplike werkers en dies meer — volgens verdienste te vergoed. Hierdie staatsdienswerkers is onmisbaar en moet so behandel word.
Besnoeiings moet eerder in departemente waar daar direkteure
vir direkteure, adjunkte vir adjunkte en persoonlike assistente vir persoonlike assistente is, gedoen word.
Die prioriteite van hierdie regering is verkeerd. Meriete en
verantwoordbaarheid is onbekende begrippe vir die ANC, en alvorens dit nie aangespreek word nie, sal hulle ons verder op
die pad na verval saamsleep. Ek dank u, Voorsitter.
The DEPUTY MINISTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION: Hon
House Chair, Minister for the Public Service and Administration, hon Senzo Mchunu, hon Members of Parliament,
in particular the Chairperson and members of the portfolio committee ...[Interjections.]
The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr Q R DYANTYI): My apologies
Deputy Minister, my apology ...
IsiXhosa:
... ndikhawulezile ukukufaka
English:
Ms Denner did finish? Oh, ok sorry Deputy Minister.
The DEPUTY MINISTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION: So
do I start afresh? Ok, thank you very much hon House Chair, Minister for the Public Service and Administration, hon Senzo Mchunu, hon Members of Parliament, in particular the
Chairperson and members of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, our honoured public servants,
fellow South Africans.
The year 2021 was declared as the year for Mme Charlotte
Maxeke, who would have turned 150 years this year, had she lived. We pause to remember this outstanding proudly African
daughter of the soil. To date we are still holding the baton and are committed to address the imbalances of the historic
past. Together, we are growing South Africa by building a capable, capacitated, ethical, professional and developmental
state which will bring a better life to all South Africans.
Hon members, the hon Minister Senzo Mchunu has comprehensively
outlined the priorities we would be implementing this financial year. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted public service systemic challenges, that warrant a paradigm shift on the use of conventional models in delivering services. It
brought to the fore the reality of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the need to move with speed in the implementation of e-Government and information and communications technology, ICT related solutions to fast-track
service delivery.
The pandemic has taught us the importance of improved
evidence-based decision-making and made government more response driven and most importantly, it has highlighted the
endless dynamism and possibilities in the use of technology and innovation which knows no boundaries, time, and distance.
Hon members, South Africa’s e-Government Policy Framework proposes the use ICT to improve government's efficacy in
delivering services. In this financial year 2021-22, the department will focus on the digital transformation change
management strategy. The goal of which is to implement
processes, tools and techniques to manage the people side of change arising from introducing information technology, IT in
a business environment.
The priority will be given to business process re-engineering interventions, aimed to harness and manage the vast data
estate already in our possession, which will be used as raw material for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The business processes will assist to improve decision-making in the Public Service. Appropriate regulatory frameworks will be introduced
to facilitate the above. To achieve the above for the financial year, an amount of R35,8 million has been allocated.
Based on the studies done by the Department of Public service and Administration, DPSA in the 2018-19 financial year,
government spending on ICT was R38 billion. Arising from this study, is the need to explore various ways in which maximum
benefit and value for money can be obtained from leveraging of ICT in the public service.
House Chair, amongst the successes, we have introduced
electronic payslips to about 20 national departments and 30
provincial departments, that is KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Limpopo. This has led to the saving of R47 million per
quarter. We project savings of more than R100 million over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF period by ensuring that all departments adopt this innovation.
Hon House Chair, since its inception 15 years ago, the Government Employees Medical Scheme, Gems has continued to grow and has become the second largest medical scheme, and the largest closed medical scheme in the country. To date Gems has
751 000 registered principal members and covers over
1,9 million beneficiaries. This growth occurred despite the
adverse economic conditions brought about by the pandemic and
the general decline in membership in the industry. Gems paid around R3.2 billion towards COVID 19 related costs for its
members by the end of the 2020 financial year. This figure rose to R4,7 billion by the end of March 2021.
The scheme reported a surplus of almost R5,6 billion for the
2020 financial year and increased its reserve ratio to 42,06% when compared to the Council for Medical Schemes, CMS target
of 22,7%. Accumulated funds increased to R18,6 billion in 2020
hon Schreiber. This must be interpreted in the context of the reduced utilisation of some of the usual healthcare services
during the Pandemic lockdown. However, the unpredictable
COVID-19 related costs were covered in full, it is anticipated that the reserves will reduce significantly during 2021 as a
result of the possibility of a third wave of the pandemic, and the estimated spend on vaccination costs.
As per Cabinet mandate, from 17 May 2021, Gems assumed the
responsibility to lead the vaccination programme for public service employees and their dependents. This workplace
vaccination programme is part of the phase two vaccination
rollout efforts aimed to reach herd immunity. The scheme has also maintained its track record of unqualified audits since
inception, including 2020 financial year. Hon members, the board of trustees has now adopted a new strategy where almost
all of Gems services will be insourced.
The insourcing capabilities programme will enable Gems to develop a bespoke healthcare ecosystem, that will position
Gems as an integral component of driving transformation of the
South African healthcare industry, in line with the requirements of National Health Insurance, NHI for universal
healthcare access in the long-term. The security and cleaning support services as well as project liaison communication office are services that have already been insourced.
Hon House Chair, the Centre for Public Service Innovation mandate as articulated in the Public Service Act of 1994, has found expression in a number of strategic national programmes. The COVID-19 pandemic has critically heightened the need to
invest more resources in public service innovation. Hon members, since August 2020 we undertook an exercise to
reposition the Centre for Public Service Innovation. This was
done to determine a suitable organizational form which will enable the Centre for Public Service Innovation, CPSI to
deliver on its broadened mandate to drive innovation in the Public Service.
The hon Minister for the Public Service and Administration,
announced last year that the CPSI will remain a government entity, but will need to review and adopt an organisational
structure suitable for the expanded mandate. To this end, the
process to finalize a fit for purpose CPSI organisational structure is at its tail end. This is done with the primary
objective to increase research and development capability amongst others, but most importantly to ensure that the CPSI is fully capacitated to conduct extensive research, develop, and replicate new solutions.
In this financial year the CPSI will conduct innovation research, facilitate solution development, create knowledge sharing platforms, ensure unearthing and recognition for innovation, facilitate replication and mainstreaming of
innovative solutions, provide integrated corporate governance.
The CPSI commits to replicating e-learning solution in some of
the District Development Model municipalities to contribute to the implementation of the District Development Model, DDM. It
will continue to participate in International Public Sector Innovation programmes in order to import global lessons into
our local environment. The budgetary allocation for the CPSI in this financial year is R42 576 000. Innovation research and
development initiatives undertaken
House Chair, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic
disruptions on the conventional work arrangements the CPSI developed a number of in-house solutions to enable remote
working. These include among others hon Schreiber, an online COVID-19 screening form. An online bid evaluation and adjudication process flow and verification. These are
currently being refined to be replicated by government departments.
The CPSI, in partnership with the National Advisory Council on
Innovation, conducted a rapid assessment of the state of public sector innovation. The survey has already indicated a
number of organisational and systemic strengths and
weaknesses, which will guide the future interventions of the CPSI.
Hon members, CPSI recorded successes, just to mention a few:
The CPSI successfully hosted the Public Sector Innovation Conference in 2020. It also hosted the 2020 Public Sector
Innovation Award Programme. Our 2020 Innovator of the Year winner, is a government organisation. The project ushered in
new system that allows applicants to register for SA Revenue
Service, Sars, Unemployment Insurance Fund, UIF and compensation funds, business bank accounts and Broad-Based
Black Economic Empowerment, BBBEE application all online in a single platform. The project overhauled the company registration process to a completely paperless environment.
This saves time and money for many of our aspirant entrepreneurs.
Relating to governance, the CPSI has once again achieved a
clean audit, third in a row. We also applaud the CPSI for keeping its COVID-19 related expenditure below R520 000 and
within the Treasury limits, during the previous financial
year. This expenditure was audited and no irregularities were identified.
Hon members, I wish to extend my appreciation to Minister
Senzo Mchunu for his stewardship and visionary leadership, towards a single professional public administration. I wish to
extend my appreciation to the Director-General of Department of Public Service and Administration, Yoliswa Makhasi and all
heads and staff of the Ministry for Public Service and
Administration, MPSA Portfolio. Our honoured public servants are also appreciated. We value your support and commitment in
ensuring delivery of the strategic vision of the department, government and the country.
The ANC-led government commits to work tirelessly to consistently improve the implementation of ICT and innovation in the public service. We owe it to Isithwalandwe Mama Charlotte Maxeke to do this, for we belong, we care and we
serve. Hon Schreiber, what the DA does well is to falsify and lie about educational qualifications of its members, wherein
matriculants claim to be advocates and having Bachelor of
Commerce, BCom degrees when they have only matric.
Let me tell you, we have done something. In South Africa we have electrified 84% of South Africa’s homes. We have built
3,2 million houses in South Africa. We have eradicated illiteracy in South Africa to the extent that, nine out of 10
people in South Africa are able to read. Eighty-eight percent of South Africans have access to clean water. That is doing,
and this is what we have done. If you intend and you plan not
to see that, it is your business. Continue with your falsified qualifications, we will do the work. I thank you Chair.
Mr W M THRING: Hon House Chairperson, the ACDP commends the department on receiving a clean audit in the last financial year after four consecutive years of financial unqualified
audit. We acknowledge the difficult task this department faces especially when a single entity deals with multitudes of government entities that operate in silos.
The department rightly acknowledges the need to manage the Salary Bill responsible and yet we also note that there are a large percentage of approved posts that are not filled each year which must hamper the ability of the department to meet their significance objectives.
With regards to the National School of Government, NSG, which almost a third of senior government employees not been properly qualified to occupy their positions. We hope that the NSG can go somewhere to fill this gap. It is gratifying to see the ... courses has already been offered in 2019 and this requested to take e-leaning even further this year.
The ACDP has long advocated for tertiary institutions to increase the availability of interdisciplinary degrees to cover financial and technology innovation information systems and technology and big data analysis. While understanding the
difficulties presented by lockdown, the ACDP will also like to see this school becoming self-sustaining.
With regard to Vote 11 and 12, the ACDP contends that many government employees no longer recognise the role as public servants. Qualifications become more important but so also as important is the right to implement our attitudes.
We can no longer accept employees who planned or do enrich themselves at the expense of the people they serve. The strategic focus of the Public Servants Association, PSA, is building in a capable ethical and developmental state, promoting accountability and fighting corruption. The ACDP notes that the department does ignore the need to self-correct and run away from the problems of corruption and incompetence within the spheres of operation.
We also aware of law morale by competent and caring government employees whose hard work is overshadow by those who chose to abuse their positions of authority both to enrich themselves and exert powers over those they are meant to serve.
The ACDP has long stated that corruption will only be eradicated when South Africa has competent trustworthy servants who take seriously the stewardship of state resources and our passionate about improving the lives of all South Africans. We want to feel safe in the knowledge that our taxes are being used transparently, economically ... House Chair, this is not the case. I thank you.
Ms M M NTULI: Hon House Chairperson, Minister and Deputy Minister present, colleagues, Director-General, departmental reps and fellow South Africans, it is a profound honour for me to partake in today’s Vote 7 debate on behalf of the ANC. The ANC fully support this Vote.
Firstly, let me take this opportunity to applaud the ANC government in celebrating the life of Mama Sharlotte Mani Maxete as one of those lives that were lived well. The National School of Government, NSG, symbolically demonstrate part of the legacy of Mama Sharlotte Mani Maxete. She was the first black South African woman to graduate with a university degree with B.sc from Wilberforce University in Ohio USA in 1903. She charted the way in fighting patriarchy and occupied
her rightful space. She led in the church, became a musician and a politician.
Hon Chairperson, NSG plays a pivotal role in rolling out courses and programmes relevant to government officials from entry level to senior management as well as the executive.
This inadmissible task contributes even continued even under unpredictable and difficult conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The development of skills, knowledge and capabilities is essential in a developmental state as envisaged in the National Development Plan.
Investment in human capital through knowledge and skills transfer increases over productivity and generate a system of innovation that seeks to resolve challenges confronting the public sector.
The NSG made it a point that all the basic values and principles are inculcated into the value system and
performance of all public servants and representatives, slow Education Training and Development, ETD, in initiatives.
The Nyukela Programme is one of SNG flagship programmes is a Pre-empt entry to Senior Management Services and also conducted on the new normal of the fourth internal rate of return, IRR, but also highly pushed by the Covid-19 pandemic as the online courses.
Quiet a sizable number had registered and a lot of officials had already qualified through this course. Over and above, the Nyukela Programme, NSG was able to make certain notable achievement which contributes towards the objectives of building the capacity for a developmental state. This programmes includes, Supply Chain Management Programme, Leading Innovation in the Public Service and many more.
We welcome the new training programme called Etella. It is an eight module course programme within a framework of initiative geared towards the enhancement of management acumen and leadership capabilities of heads of departments and public entities in the capacity as accounting officers
Through a Etella and related initiatives, the NSG is supporting senior public officials to lead in a dynamic and uncertain environment and to make a significant contribution in growing the next generation of accounting officers. The NSG also has partnership with international institutional bodies for the alignment of world class and modernisation of public service.
We will only realise that with a professional and qualified public servants and the NSG is the excellent vehicle for this dream to come true. It must be clear that all NSG courses and programmes were aligned to government policy framework seeking to address quality service delivery and change the lives of the people of South Africa particularly the previously disadvantaged whom their last hope is the government of the day, which is the ANC.
House Chairperson, this budget comes under very difficult circumstances muted by the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in various disruptions that led to budget cut and failure to generate the school revenue which contribute enormously towards the work of the school.
In conclusion hon House Chairperson, we commend the leadership of the school for their pro-activeness in responding to the reality of Covid-19 and attempting to come up with innovative solutions.
The school aims at the revision of its funding model to ensure the generation of revenue through its training projects. The revive funding model will have proposed that a portion of national department training budget be directed to the school to fund the mandatory traing it provides. I thank you, hon House Chairperson. The ANC support this Budget Vote.
Mr C H M SIBISI: Hon House Chair, last year we heard the Minister of Finance vow to reduce spending by about
R300 billion over the next three years. With the larger cuts coming from the Public Sector Wage Bill. Today we see unions rejecting the cuts and we have not heard of any concrete plan from the Minister of Finance in addressing the demands of the union as far as the fiscus is concerned, and the impact those demands will have on the fiscus if they were to be met or a compromised raise.
We echo the same sentiment that getting to grips with the Public Sector Wage Bill is as urgent as ever to slow down the worrying increase of our debt to Gross Domestic Product, GDP, ratio. We cannot expect public servants and office bearers to stomach wage freezes, but on the one hand we have food prices and just general commodity prices increasing. Many South African’s disposal income reduced significantly. Needless to mention that our national saving rate is now surging on the negative.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a steady increase in commodity prices. Though we understand that the fiscus is overstrained but the Department of Trade and Industry should tighten up regulations to safeguard the increasing food prices by retailers and suppliers.
Hon House Chair, we can agree that our people need government’s assistance more than ever in these trying times. However, we cannot allow a situation where decisions are taken that will push the country into fiscal cliff.
We call on the Minister of Finance and Minister Mchunu to explain the rationale behind the decision to offer public servants a recurring cash gratuity of R978, while we have millions of our people who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, but government still see it feasible to table a 1,5% increment accompanied a by cash gratuity, which will cost us a reported R15 billion.
We are here signing off on Budget Votes and budget cuts which are eminent across the board. We empathise with public servants fully on the basis that food prices and general prices of commodities ... [Inaudible.] ...
With that said, bargaining council and labour unions are aware that South Africa does not have money. The problem is that we have a capacity problem where leaders do not understand consequences of their decision and how they will impact the entire country. The NFP supports the Budget Vote. I thank you, Chair.
Ms M M GONDWE: Thank you, hon House Chairperson, allow me to begin my contribution to the debate this afternoon with the
late Senator Margaret Madeline Chase Smith, the first woman in United State history to serve in both Houses of the United State Congress. Senator Smith once said:
"My creed is that public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation with full recognition that every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration, that constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought, that smears are not only to be expected but fought, that honour is to be earned, not bought."
Hon House Chairperson, our public service is regrettably still a far cry from this creed so artily articulated by Senator Smith for the mere reason that it is currently characterised by, amongst other things, corruption and a complete and utter disregard or distain for the legislation and regulations governing public service.
Hon House Chairperson, in February this year, the Department of Public Service and Administration informed the portfolio
committee that as of January 2021, there were 484 public service employees possibly conducting business with the state. Notwithstanding, that the Public Service Regulations, 2016, prohibits public service employees from conducting business with the state.
What is even more disheartening, hon House Chairperson, is that despite investigations being conducted in this regard, not a single, and I repeat, not a single public service employee has been prosecuted and convicted for conducting business with the state.
I have to ask you, hon Minister, what exactly is your creed for the public service? Because, according to the Department of Social Development, almost 40 000, and I repeat, 40 000 public service employees applied for the Social Relief of Distress Grant. This grant was most certainly intended for public service employees who are drawing a monthly salary from state coffers.
This grant was intended to provide some form of measure or socioeconomic relief to the most vulnerable and distressed
members of our society in the face of the pandemic. But close to 40 000 public service employees applied for this grant.
Furthermore, according to the Department of Social Development, 241 of these public service employees received that grants of R350 for the month of May 2020. Yet again, to date, no definitive or decisive disciplinary or legal action have been taken against the implicated public service employees.
Hon Minister, my creed for the public service is that employees who are found guilty of conducting business with the state and for unlawfully applying for, or receiving any SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, administered grant, including Social Relief of Distress Grant, should be summarily prosecuted and convicted or else these brazen and blatant acts of corruption within the public service will continue unabated and unchecked.
My creed is further that, the Department of Public Service and Administration should be playing a more pronounced and conspicuous role in rooting out these brazen and blatant acts
of corruption. The Department of Public Service and Administration should ideally be at the helm or the forefront of enforcing compliance by public service employees and individual government departments with the prescript of the Public Service Act and the Public Administration Management Act. And, to also looking into ways to hold them fully accountable when they don’t comply with the prescript of the Public Service Act and the Public Administration Management Act.
Hon Minister, I have to ask again, what is your creed for the public service, if government is set to spend a mind blowing R4,5 billion remunerating over 6000 public service employees who are currently sitting at home on suspension, with full pay, pending the finalisation of their disciplinary cases?
After forking out R2,4 billion in the 2019-20 financial year, the South African taxpayer is set to fork out another
R2,1 billion to pay suspended public service employees who are sitting at home with full pay for the 2020-21 financial year.
My creed hon Minister, is that the Department of Public Service and Administration should be monitoring where the
government departments are prioritising the finalisation of these disciplinary cases. The Department of Public Service and Administration should be exerting pressure on government departments to finalise these cases as they are placing an unjustifiable and und burden on taxpayers. I have to ask you again, hon Minister, what exactly is your creed for the public service? I thank you.
The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr Q R Dyantyi): Thank you, hon Gondwe. The next speaker I invite is hon Lesoma and before she comes, I just want to indicate that hon Ntuli saved three minutes. Therefore, hon Lesoma will have 40 minutes.
Ms R M M LESOMA: Hon House Chair, fellow South Africans, hon Minister Mchunu, Deputy Minister Chikunga and all the Ministers and Deputy Ministers who are present in this platform, fellow South Africans, Department of Public Service and Administration, DPSA team or family led by director generals, DGs, present in this platform. Allow me hon House Chair to start by housekeeping matters that, that it quiet humbling the reconfirmation, the trust and the confidence that the South African again has demonstrated during the
yesterday’s by-election. Out of 40 wards, ANC retained 27 wards, DA lost four, others were missing in action. Speak with no sense of responsibility, however we understand, that there are those parties who speak with no sense of responsibility, but we understand why. They don’t have no responsibility to govern, direct and lead this country.
Secondly, guide lines on the life style audit, hon Dr Schreiber were done and approved in the past financial year. And now the department is working with the provinces and the departments is focusing on limitation. You know that is was reported at the portfolio committee level.
The Public Service Commission is one of the institutions of democracy that is enshrined in the Constitution which must assist in the attainment on the National Development Plan, NDP, objectives and building a capable developmental state. The matters of the Public Service Commission ... is the maintenance of the effective and efficiency public administration and the high standard of professional ethics in the public service.
The Public Service Commission is vested with custodial oversight responsibilities for the public service practices. It also has the power to issue directions regarding compliance with the personal procedures relating to the recruitment, transfers, promotions and dismal.
The institution also acts as a functionary of legislative authority that assist in carrying out oversight functions within in the scope of public service, as it were. In addition, its role also to promote good governance and integrity in the public service and performing oversight functions, also plays a developmental role that interacts with markets and non-markets players in order craft programmes and of affecting socioeconomic transformation.
Accordingly, to their annual programme, Public Service Commission such as the Moral Regeneration Movement to work join programme to focus on values and ethical challenges that confront the public service. The other example that would like to demonstrate within the financial year 2019-2020, the year that was, they had the seminar under the theme Leading Like a
Mandela, Dawn of a New Era of Ethical Values Based on Conscious Leader.
The Public Service Commission also takes up campaigns that address some of the most fundamental challenges confronting our society, such as gender-based violence and femicide. Given the constitutional mandate of the Public Service Commission raises ethic awareness through the promotion of code of conduct in the public service ethical leadership dialogue and commemoration of the international events such the International Anti-corruption Day. That’s a demonstration and why the ANC supports this Budget Vote.
Value driven public service, the overarching objective of the ANC in the creation of the national democratic society anchored by the principles of non-racialism, non-sexism and democracy. This is a society that is antithesis to the colonial apartheid society, which was based on marginalisation and exploitation of Africans in particular.
The public service must be driven by the values of national democratic society, and therefore our intervention should not
only be aimed hon members at compliance but the advancement of this principle.
The developmental state of the public service must be a microcosm of the society that we seek to create. This means that we must take full responsibility and propagate these values for society and the private sector to emulate.
The inclusion of women in the decision making process is of paramount important and this is something we expect the Public Service Commission to advocate.
We welcome the report of the office of the Public Service Commission, which annually reviews and submit the gender and disability main streaming programme of action to the department. The report that we received in January 2021, stipulates that, the women are represented in the senior management level, however, there is still more work to be done in terms of people living with disabilities. Although, there’s no public service work target for the representation at senior management level, we strongly believe that we can only attain the required target if can concentrate on building a strong
cohort of middle managers with the required skills and capacity, to be promoted to the senior level, as it were.
We also welcome the demonstrated commitment of the Public Service Commission to appoint the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment, BBBEE, complying suppliers. Since the last vote, which is the year that was, they set aside 55,9% of the suppliers were appointed by the Public Service Commission were in compliant. This is the way above the adjusted indicator that was agreed upon in July 2020 from 10% to 14%. The BBBEE is an important instrument that is used by the developmental state to ensure the decentralisation of the main stream economy and ensure the participation of a new emerging players in the markets, through the buying power of the state and its institutions, as it were.
Promotion of the code of conduct and accountability in terms of section 195 of the Constitution, the Public Service Commission is required to promote professional ethics in the public space, public service and administration. The values and the principles which must be propagated are spelt out in the datum of the Batho Pele transcript which must be
propagated and spelt out and the public service work force must be able to walk the talk in term of upholding the Batho Pele principles.
Through the openness, consultation, service standard and transparency information and value for money. These are values which must drive professional and ethical conduct in public service. One of the principle we want to emphasize, hon members and hon House Chair is the issue of openness and transparency in the public service. It is very important that we avoid conflict of interest in the public service and those who are in the senior management level are compelled to disclose their financial and other interests there may be engaged in. In disclosing financial and other interest there may be in terms of Regulation 21 (1a) of the Public Regulation 2016.
The Public Service Commission is required to scrutinise the financial disclosure forms of members of the senior management, throughout government not only limited to themselves. The purpose of the scrutiny is to assess compliance with the requirement to disclose all financial
interest and also establish whether the involvement of officials in any activities of the company led to a conflict of interest. As we all hon members, that public servants, it’s illegal for them to do business with themselves, with the state.
Hon House Chair, one of the strategic impediments to the creation of the developmental state is the challenge of corruption as we all know or we might know that ANC in its 2017 National Congress Conference, we took a hard line stance against corruption and declared that an era of impunity was over. President Cyril Ramaphosa, in the state of the nation address for 2021 indicated that the government had started the implementation of national anti-corruption strategy, which lays the basis for comprehensive integrated society, wide response to corruption. The objectives of this strategy, hon members, one, is rejuvenate a national dialogue and direct energy towards practical mechanism to reduce corruption and improve ethical practices across sectors and amongst citizens in South Africa.
Secondly, provide a robust conceptual framework and strategic pillars to guide anti-corruption approaches across relevant sectors in the country. Thirdly, support coordination between government business and civil society efforts, to reduce corruption and improve accountability and ethical practices.
Lastly, not limited to, provide a tool for monitoring progress towards a less corruption society. Hence, I would like to reconfirm, to say that the ANC is committed to root out corruption. I am not too sure what hon members from the DA were talking about. This is a demonstration of a committed government to walk the talk.
We welcome that against the backdrop of the reports of the personal protective equipment corruption in October 2020. The Public Service Commission hosted a virtual round table among others addressing; (a) implementation of the constitutional principle of efficient, effective and economic use of resources in the procurement environment, (b) the challenges experienced during COVID-19 within the procurement environment and the financial implications of these challenges on the fiscus. This symposium was held to ensure that we uplift and
we popularise our commitment and sensitize South Africans and the public servants, that it’s illegal and is not acceptable and never will be acceptable for the public servants to do business with themselves, with the state.
We therefore, hon House Chair and hon members welcome and support this Budget Vote with an overall budget allocation for 2021-2022, of R282,4 million compared to R273,7 million in the year, in particular that was dedicated or allocated to programme one, which is administration and programme four which is very much important in the space and my main theme of today, dealing with corruption, as it were. Which is interpreted an anti-corruption which is R57,9 million that is allocated for this financial year.
This is a practical demonstration, hon House and hon members that the Public Service Commission together with the government, together with ourselves, as the ANC the leading party in government is committed in addressing the issues raised above in my input. Thus, hon House Chair, the ANC moves in support for Vote 12 of the Public Service Commission and I thank you.
The MINISTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION: Thank you
very much, hon Chair, on the Public Service Commission, PSC, I just want to say, we will continue to support the PSC, firstly, as they continue to reposition themselves ... to do more of their work in compliance and do it efficiently as possible. But on the other hand, we will also support them as they try to deal with issues of integrity internally ... as they improve in that area.
Secondly, I just want to assure the hon member Gondwe that we take the points she has raised. Maybe, we should put more pressure on the Executive Authorities, EAs. It’s not about DPSA opening cases against those people who defrauded, SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, and others who trade with the state, but it’s more of each and every EA doing their job.
Maybe, all we need to do is to put more pressure on them to open cases. But we take the point.
Lastly, Chair, I would like to request that the hon members, Motsepe and Schreiber, maybe hold a meeting so that they can analyse what they want to say. Motsepe says pay public servants and Schreiber says don’t pay anything. I think, the
correct answer is neither of the above. That’s what we were saying that there is a need to rationalise the Public Service space and land in a way where you apply the four principles that we highlighted so that everything that gets done there, including determining remuneration is done in a fair, equitable and transparent manner. Maybe to emphasise again, the hon member Mr Schreiber needs to do something about his ears and eyes. There is something that surely is not working when he says there’s nothing that is being done. There must be something terribly wrong ... with regard to his senses. I think, he got carried out by just campaigning for local government, instead of debating and helping us to improve Public Service. Chair, with all that I thank you very much.
The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr Q R Dyantyi): Hon Minister just hold. Hon Schreiber, please open your camera.
Dr L A SCHREIBER: Chair, I am losing signal.
The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr Q R Dyantyi): Hon Schreiber, please open your camera. Hon Schreiber, I am asking you to switch on your camera.
Dr L A SCHREIBER: I am cutting in and out, Chair. Can I assist
... [Inaudible.]
The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr Q R Dyantyi): Hon Schreiber, you deliberately opened your mic without getting any permission and interfered with the Minister.
Dr L A SCHREIBER: I thanked him for his diagnosis. Thank you, Chair.
The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr Q R Dyantyi): Hon Schreiber, I am addressing you. I will do this before I conclude this business ... [Inaudible.] Serjeant–at-arms as well as the IT, please remove hon Schreiber before we conclude this business.
Dr L A SCHREIBER: Yoh, Chair! It’s just a diagnosis, thank you.
The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr Q R Dyantyi): Hon members, that concludes the debate of this the mini-plenary and the business of today. The mini-plenary will now rise. I thank you.
Debate concluded.
The mini-plenary rose at 18:27.
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