ANC chooses cadres over country by ignoring Public Service Commission

3 October 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has established that, since 1 January 2018, the government has implemented less than 10% of the 153 recommendations issued by the Public Service Commission (PSC) following investigations into misconduct and corruption.

According to the PSC, which is a Constitutional body with the mandate to promote measures to create a capable public service, the government only implemented 15 out of the PSC’s 153 recommendations over the past 20 months. The government only “partly” implemented another 18. This means that the ANC-led government, with the Department of Public Service and Administration at the forefront, has continued to roundly ignore the PSC’s recommendations in 78% of cases for the entirety of Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidency.

This disgraceful state of affairs reveals just how much contempt the ANC has for the PSC and the principle of accountability. It also reflects the fact that the Commission currently lacks the ability to enforce its recommendations by holding accountable senior public servants, when they simply ignore recommendations issued by this independent organ of state created by the Constitution.

For far too long, the ANC has been able to merrily implement its cadre deployment policy that has destroyed the South African public service. And for far too long, the ANC has simply ignored the PSC’s recommendations when its cadres are caught out.

The DA believes it is high time that the PSC got the same powers as the Public Protector and the Auditor-General to make its remedial recommendations legally binding. Parliament recently enacted amendments that gave the Auditor-General the power to refer cadres for criminal investigation when they fail to implement its recommendations. It also gave the AG the power to take any other appropriate remedial steps, including by recovering stolen money.

The DA will consequently introduce legislation in terms of section 196(4)(g) of the Constitution, which enables the Public Service Commission to exercise or perform the additional powers or functions prescribed by an Act of Parliament. The proposed legislation will be tabled in the portfolio committee by the DA’s Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration, Dr. Leon Schreiber, and seconded by Deputy Shadow Minister, Michele Clarke.

Our legislation will make the PSC’s recommendations legally binding and give it the power to act decisively against the ANC cadres destroying our state. This is a key step towards replacing our current patronage state where only cadres prosper with a capable state where citizens prosper.

Issued by Michelle Clarke, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration, 3 October 2019