Chairperson, the Department for the Public Service and Administration monitors public servants who have been suspended and/or dismissed from the Public Service for misconduct. We gather this information from relevant departments upon request. We have since developed a reporting template where all departments will provide information through the Persal system.
According to the information received from Persal in the past three years, 2 922 employees have been suspended and 149 were dismissed. The employees that were suspended or dismissed were charged for the following reasons: failure to comply with or contravening an Act, regulations and legal obligations; deliberate mismanagement of state finances; theft, bribery or fraud; insubordination, absenteeism from work without reason or permission; accepting compensation without written approval from the employer; sexual harassment, discrimination, sleeping on duty; contravening the code of conduct; assault, attempts to or threatening to assault a person; intimidation and victimisation of fellow employees; and the violation of common law or committing a statutory offence while on state premises.
During the period under review, 379 misconduct cases were committed by officials at the level of chief director and above.
The hon Themba is not in the House, nor has she delegated anyone to ask a follow-up question on her behalf. In the absence of follow-up questions, we continue with Question 79.
Provision made and steps taken to capacitate public servants who are not adequately qualified for their positions with reference to multiyear wage plan
79. Mr M P Sibande (ANC) asked the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:
(a) What provision has been made and (b) what steps will be taken to capacitate public servants who are not adequately qualified for their positions with reference to the multiyear wage plan that her department has entered into to provide for salary increases of public servants that are linked to performance and the provisions of labour legislation? CO650E
Hon Chairperson, the issue of capacity development and improvement in the skills profile of the Public Service is our priority in order to ensure a professional Public Service that can deliver to the people of South Africa. This matter features prominently in the wage agreement signed by the unions on 31 July 2012. We are now requiring all public servants to undergo a compulsory training course to ensure that they are properly trained to understand government's policies and processes. This is part of the induction process.
The specific policies that the Public Service has put in place to facilitate and support the capacity-building of public servants include the White Paper on Public Service Training and Education, equality of access by all personnel at all levels to meaningful training opportunities, and lifelong learning, particularly through a National Qualifications Framework. Our focus will be on the implementation of these policies, supported by the application of the performance management development system to ensure that only public servants who meet a certain performance threshold get paid for their pay progression.
I have attached additional information, which supports some of the information I provided here. It could also be sent to the members to peruse it.
As we all know, we are still battling with the scars of the past. If I may ask, approximately how many public servants are still affected in that regard and need to be capacitated?
Unfortunately, I do not have that information on hand but I can provide it to the House at a later date.
Details relating to realignment of Community Development Workers Programme and Public Service delivery activities
82. Mr M P Sibande (ANC) asked the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:
Whether the Community Development Workers Programme and its Public Service delivery activities have been realigned as envisaged; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) to what extent will such realignment improve the (i) programme and (ii) Public Service delivery activities and (b) what are the further relevant details?