Latest news with #DepartmentofPublicServiceandAdministration
IOL News
2 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
South African public servants, aged 35 and under face career growth barriers
There are 347,000 public servants aged 35 and younger in South Africa but systemic barriers are blocking their career growth. Image: Pexels More than 347,000 public servants, aged between 31 and 35, are employed in South Africa's public service, accounting for 27% of the government workforce but systemic issues are blocking their long-term career growth. This emerged during a briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration on Tuesday. The committee heard from the Department of Public Service and Administration and the Public Service Commission (PSC) as part of Youth Month engagements focused on strengthening youth development in the state. While the department noted the significant representation of younger people in administrative, finance, supply chain, and technical roles, with women forming the majority, the committee raised alarm over the low absorption of interns and short-term placements that offer little in terms of skills recognition or career advancement. "Short-term placements without certification or skills recognition do not constitute meaningful empowerment,' the committee noted. A major concern raised was the budget constraints that limit the creation of posts for youth, and the practice of assigning interns to unrelated, menial tasks with little supervision. Committee members also flagged nepotism in placements and the lack of formal exit interviews to assess programme impact. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading To address these challenges, the department is developing a policy to introduce a voluntary early retirement scheme. This would allow older public servants to leave without financial penalties, thereby creating space for younger recruits. The department will also enforce youth hiring targets in departmental performance plans and scale up partnerships. Committee chairperson, Jan de Villiers, said, "Today's presentations reflected the dual importance of efficient leave management and purposeful youth development; it is not just about employing young people; it is about creating developmental pathways for them to grow within the public sector." The committee also scrutinised the PSC's report on leave utilisation from 2020 to 2023. It revealed that capped leave, days that accrued before July 2000 now stands as a R16 billion liability, mostly within the health and education sectors. The PSC warned this liability will continue to grow due to inflation and salary increases. Members also raised concerns about high levels of sick and incapacity leave and unequal access to study leave, with senior managers often benefiting more than lower-level staff such as cleaners and clerical workers. They called for improved transparency in recruitment and leave oversight, and better demographic data to inform workforce planning. THE MERCURY
IOL News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Enhancing governance: New initiative to collect data on foreign national public service workers
The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) said it has launched a wide-ranging data collection initiative focused on foreign nationals in a bid to bolster governance and national security. Image: Independent Newspapers Archives The South African government has launched a data collection initiative targeting foreign nationals in public service to enhance governance and national security, addressing public concerns about undocumented workers. The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) said it has launched a wide-ranging data collection initiative focused on foreign nationals in a bid to bolster governance and national security. The initiative, which is already under way, aims to plug information gaps in existing systems and ensure compliance with national employment standards. According to the department, while the PERSAL system captures most employment-related information, it does not provide the full picture when it comes to foreign nationals working in public roles. 'This current request for data is vital, as the PERSAL system, while comprehensive, does not always capture all necessary information for effective policy formulation and public administration,' the DPSA said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The department underscored that this effort is not only about collecting figures but about refining the quality of data. 'Our commitment to data integrity means that we are not only gathering information but also verifying and analysing it to ensure a comprehensive overview once the process is complete.' The DPSA's move comes amid growing public concerns around undocumented or poorly recorded foreign nationals, especially within critical sectors like healthcare. However, the department has poured cold water on claims that '90% of foreign nationals in public health lack documented data.' 'Any claims regarding data deficiencies must be substantiated with credible information,' it stated. 'We are working with departments to ensure that all relevant data is current and correctly captured,' the department said. National security concerns also loom large in the department's reasoning. 'Our existing directive on the Employment of Foreign Nationals outlines strict norms and standards to ensure that such employment does not compromise state security,' the DPSA explained, adding that it works closely with security agencies to 'update our directives in response to evolving national security needs.' While some may see this as a heavy-handed tactic, the DPSA insists that the drive is about strengthening ethical governance. 'We view this initiative as an opportunity to strengthen governance and improve public service practices,' the department said. 'Our approach emphasises accountability and transparency, with the goal of developing a resilient public administration.' With data now being consolidated and analysed, the department said it continues to support individual public service departments to ensure accurate reporting. THE MERCURY
