The current training unit Palama would be transformed into a school of government by October this year‚ the minister told a media briefing on Thursday (7 March).
A task team has been set up to establish the school which Sisulu said would ensure that there was no more outsourcing of what was a core business of the department‚ namely to train and develop public servants.
The team will design the curricula for the school which would provide compulsory induction and orientation for new entrants into the public service‚ as well as targeting junior‚ middle and senior managers as well as directors general and deputy directors general.
Sisulu said no new entrants to the public service would qualify for pay increases unless they had been on courses offered by the school. The school would "massify" training and development.
"We want a public service cadre that is professional‚ conscientious and passionate about the work done. A cadre that is in the service of the people‚" she said.
Another priority‚ she said was to amend the Public Service Act by June this year to establish an anti-corruption bureau which would have powers to investigate and intervene in cases that were not resolved within a certain period. She noted that there was a huge backlog of cases of misconduct in the public service and that the state was having to pay huge sums on the remuneration of employees who were on prolonged periods of precautionary suspension.
The minister referred to research of the Public Service Commission which noted an increase in the number of misconduct cases and the low level of financial disclosures (less than 50%) of senior managers. There were also cases of public servants being involved in illegal procurement. Research showed that the cost of financial misconduct had increased from R120m in 2004/05 to R364m in 2009/10.
New legislation to create a uniform public service - the Public Administration Bill - is also on Parliament's agenda for June. The bill aims to align institutions within the three spheres of government.
"We will create a strong centre of government that is in a position to hold service delivery vehicles together and to provide support‚ guidance and advice where needed," she claimed
Sisulu said the department was moving with speed to amend the Public Service Act to prohibit public servants from doing business with the state. Legal advisors were currently checking the proposals she said. It was planned to link the databases of the department with those of the South African Revenue Service so that the lifestyles of public servants could be scrutinised.
A presidential remuneration commission has also been established to review the remuneration and conditions of service of the public sector. Sisulu said President Jacob Zuma would promulgate the terms of reference of the commission‚ which she hoped would finalise its work in eight months' time.
She identified these priorities within the context of what she said was a weakening of the state and the prevalence of corruption in all spheres of government. The government bureaucracy was cumbersome and inefficient and suffered from inertia and inflexibility‚ she said.
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
