South Africa’s Opposition Democratic Alliance Party (DA) is calling on Minister for Public Service and Administration, Noxolo Kiviet to discipline bureaucrats who are unable to prove they have permission to engage in paid work outside the Public Service.
This follows a finding by the Public Service Commission that 379 members of the Senior Management Service (SMS) were engaged in other paid work.
Answering DA questions in Parliament, Ms Kiviet (pictured) said only 203 SMS members were able to prove they obtained prior authorisation to engage in outside work.
She said further investigations found the Senior Managers had received more than R45 million ($A3.5 million) from outside jobs during the 2021-22 financial year.
“Of this total, R31.3 million ($A2.4 million) was generated by SMS members in the National Departments and National Government Components,” Ms Kiviet said.
“The amount of remuneration generated by SMS members in the Provincial Departments was R13.6 million ($A1 million).”
She said officers who did not receive permission to engage in outside work came from the Departments of Education; Provincial Treasury, and Transport and Public Works.
“Various actions were taken as a result of the Public Service Commission’s findings and recommendations,” the Minister said.
“The actions taken were not limited to infractions relating to other remunerative work, but to non-compliance with the Financial Disclosure Framework in general.”
Pretoria, 25 May 2023
