Gaye Davis
MINISTER Zola Skweyiya’s announcement of a radical shake-up for the Public Service Commission (PSC) — often cited by government ministers and officials as the biggest obstacle to the country’s transformation — faces a rearguard action.
The Forum of Commissions — a non-statutory body comprising the national PSC and eight provincial PSCs — intends arguing that the draft final Constitution be re-worded to entrench its existing structure, the Mail & Guardian learnt this week.
The Gauteng provincial PSC has formally disassociated itself from the move. In a letter to Constitutional Assembly director Hassen Ebrahim this week, it said it fully supported the new role and composition of the PSC as spelt out by Skweyiya last weekend.
While the interim Constitution was packed with guarantees that ensured the PSC’s role and powers remained unchanged, the draft final Constitution says simply that there shall be a public administration commission.
The intention is to spell out details of its functions in legislation, so that frequent constitutional amendments do not become necessary.
The new model was agreed to by a joint working group formed by Skweyiya and the PSC. It will entail a drastic reduction in the size and powers of the PSC, aimed at making government departments more efficient.
Envisaged is a national public administration commission on which provinces will be represented. It will no longer be involved in the day-to-day administration of departments.
Instead, it will monitor public administration, research and act as a review body for civil servants.
Determining policy will in future rest with Skweyiya, and within this framework, government ministers and their line-function departments will have the power to design their own organisational structures, create posts and recruit staff.
The changes are in line with the White Paper on the transformation of the public service and the recommendations of the Constitutional Assembly theme committee which dealt with specialised structures of government.
Amendments to the Public Service Act, to implement the changes, went before the parliamentary portfolio committee on the public service this week.