Secrecy Shrouded in Public Service Commission’s Undertaking to Investigate Large Scale Mal-admin in Free State

 
Pressure is mounting on the Public Service Commission following its kids-glove approach in handling matters about the Free State Provincial Government. 
 
This is as PSC drags its feet in handling information in the public domain.
 
The constitutional mandate of the Public Service Commission is:
The PSC is tasked and empowered to, amongst others, investigate, monitor, and evaluate the organization and administration of the Public Service.
This mandate also entails the evaluation of achievements, or lack thereof of Government programs. The PSC also should promote measures that would ensure effective and efficient performance within the Public Service and promote values and principles of public administration as set out in the Constitution, throughout the Public Service.

Since June 2021 this publication published a series of articles ranging from irregular appointments, irregular salary increases, nepotism, and maladministration in the Free State provincial government and one would have expected PSC to monitor and investigate as per mandate.
 
Since September 2021 we have covered the following stories and according to PSC, they can only investigate once matters have been referred as per PSC gazetted rules.

We then asked PSC about:
-Cecil Ngwenya, a criminal record who works for Free State Education as Acting Legal Advisor,
-Mabu Mbutho, Premier’s daughter who is a deputy director with just matric,
-Zola Thamae, a director who has been appointed acting HoD at SACR,
-Masabatha Magashule, level 9 employee who was seconded to level 12(three levels above her level)

Apart from that, there are several stories we and other media houses have covered in which if indeed PSC monitored they would have picked them up and investigated.

Few employees who spoke on condition of anonymity say they do not have faith in PSC and we are inclined to understand why because we asked for a report concerning the irregular salary increase that Premier Ntombela pushed while she was MEC of Social Development the PSC referred this publication to Social Development citing POPI act.

The irony is National PSC publishes reports on its website after investigations dating back to 1998.
Public Protector, Auditor General of South Africa, and Courts including the Constitutional Court all publish their reports and judgments.
Humphrey Ramafoko, PSC spokesperson in September 2021 said.
 
“The Public Service Commission in the Free State province is not familiar with the issues involving the individuals named in the email.”
 
It’s been seven months since they said they are not familiar. Maybe they honestly don’t know, just maybe.
 
Obliviousness.
 
He should have just said no comment.
 
Is the PSC in Free State in bed with the government or simply incompetent?

The functions of the commission include to:

Give directions aimed at ensuring that personnel procedures relating to recruitment, transfers promotions and dismissals comply with constitutionality prescribed values and principles;

Either of it’s own accord or on receipt of any complaint:-

Now they want to tell us they only investigate when complaints are lodged.

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