The Public Service Commission (PSC) has warned that South Africa is likely to head towards a failed state if it does not address the challenges of unethical behaviour and corruption that has mired the public sector. THE PSC has called on public servants to expose corruption and has assured them that they will be protected.
The PSC says the public service in South Africa reflects inefficiency which is leading to its inability to implement a developmental state agenda.
The Commission has welcomed the signing of the proclamation by President Cyril Ramaphosa last month which authorises the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) to probe allegations of corruption at Tembisa Hospital. It says that some public servants have lost their lives when they tried to report corruption and maladministration in the sector.
“We will remember that some people died for exposing unethical behaviour in the workplace. The PSC encourages all public servants to come out and expose corruption, the Zondo Commission exposed a lot of corruption in government and in SOEs which must be investigated by law enforcement agencies,” says Public Service Commissioner Anele Gxoyiya.
The Commission says it received over 770 000 registered calls of alleged corruption in the first quarter of this year. And that at the end of June 2023, it registered 160 grievances and 95 % of these cases were referred by employees. Some of grievances range from irregular appointments, procurement irregularities and lack of qualifications of some senior managers.
“The referral of grievances by employees is an indication that departments have failed to resolve those grievances internally and employees have opted to go out because their grievances were not resolved internally,” Gxoyiya added.
The Commission says the cost containment measures proposed by government should not affect the payment of service providers for the services and goods already received in the public sector and that there should be delivery of service in an efficient and economic manner as prescribed by the Constitution.
The PSC says that the Public Service Commission Bill is at an advance stage and is expected to be passed by Parliament soon.
