Parliament is obligated in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and the Public Service Commission Act (No. 46 of 1997), to recommend candidates for appointment as National Public Service Commissioners. The Constitution, Section 195 and 196 empowers the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration to appoint five Commissioners for the Public Service Commission (PSC). Each Commissioner should serve for a period of five-year renewable term in the PSC as stipulated in the Constitution. However terms of the Commissioners do not lapse simultaneously since they are appointed at different stages of each one's term.