NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY
THURSDAY, 27 MAY 2010
1483. Mr D A Kganare (Cope) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and
Administration:
(1) Whether the Government is committed to promote professional and
nonpartisan civil service; if not, why not; if so, what are the
relevant details;
(2) Whether he has been informed of the complaint to the public service
about a special unit in Limpopo to short list and appoint civil
servants in the Department of Health and the Department of Social
Development; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) Whether this special unit or panel has been instituted in line with
the law; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) (a) What are the names of the persons that constitute this panel, (b)
where are they employed and (c) what are their (i) academic
qualifications and (ii) skills? NW1740E
REPLY
(1) Yes, the Government is committed to promote professional nonpartisan
civil service.
⢠A vast variety of legislation and initiatives exist currently
that seek to inculcate the notion of a professional and
nonpartisan Public Service. Of these, I would like to mention
the following:
o In terms of the Constitution, section 197(3), no employee
of the Public Service may be favoured or prejudiced because
of that personâs support to a particular party or cause.
o The current Code of Conduct in the Public Service
Regulations, 2001 contains clear standards for public
servants with regard to their relationship with the
legislature, political and executive office- bearers, other
public servants and the public, the performance of their
duties and their personal conduct and private interests.
The primary purpose of the Code is to promote and ensure
exemplary conduct by public servants.
o Building on extensive work done in the past, further
initiatives concerning Batho Pele are being rolled out in
departments on an ongoing basis.
o The Presidential Hotline has been introduced to make
Government and the Presidency more accessible to the public
and to help unblock service delivery blockages and unwanted
behaviour by public servants.
o An Inter-Ministerial Committee on Corruption is looking at
ways to decisively defeat corruption. The work of this
Committee will be based on policies and legislation already
introduced to ensure Public Service integrity and to fight
corruption. Further impetus to the matter will be brought
about by a Public Sector Integrity Management Framework
that will be introduced soon. The Framework is aimed at-
⪠strengthening and aligning all measures regulating
good governance and probity in the public sector;
⪠strengthening capacity to prevent and combat
corruption;
⪠ensuring compliance through monitoring and
evaluation; and
⪠ensuring enforcement as a deterrent.
(2) With regard to questions (2), (3) and (4), I am not aware of a
special unit established in the Limpopo Department of Health and
Social Development and I will appreciate it if the Honourable Member
may provide me with some more information for my preliminary privilege
to access if there is an indication of any wrongdoing.