25 September 2023

SOUTH AFRICA: Misconduct probes stalled

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SOUTH AFRICA

A new study from the South African Public Service Commission (PSC) says investigations of misconduct against senior managers often stall because of threats against the investigators.

“Public Servants are generally frustrated by how their senior managers are never sanctioned for transgressions,” the PSC report said.

The study by the watchdog, produced following a round table that delved into causes of unfair treatment in the workplace, stopped short of describing senior managers as a law unto themselves.

“Employees from employee relations/labour relations sections are victimised when dealing with investigations of senior managers,” the report said.

“They do not process grievance investigations against senior managers to conclusion because of fear of victimisation.”

It said PS employees also claimed that there appeared to be unwillingness to discipline seniors accused of wrongdoing and Departments moved quickly only when disciplining juniors.

Commissioner for the PSC, Moira Marais-Martin said there was a need to look into recurrent grievances.

“From the analysis of grievance trends for the past three years, the PSC identified unfair treatment as the highest cause of grievances, and therefore deemed it necessary to focus on the causes of unfair treatment in the workplace,” Ms Marais-Martin said.

The PSC directed the Department of Public Service and Administration to look into disciplinary cases outstanding and report these to the watchdog and Parliament.

Pretoria, 1 February 2019

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