Thank you, Chair. Hon Chair, just two days ago the PSC released its latest Pulse of the Public Service report. The report highlights that national and provincial departments still owe our job- creating businesses billions in unpaid invoices. The report also shows that public servants routinely ignore court rulings without anyone having been fired. The fundamental cause of this is that we have the wrong people in the Public Service because politicians have the power to appoint public servants, to dismiss officials and to discipline them.
If we are serious about building a professional and meritocratic Public Service, we must give these powers to the PSC. My question to the Minister is, will you support the DA's pending legislation to abolish cadre deployment and empower the PSC to handle senior appointments, dismissals and discipline in the Public Service?