Parliament, Thursday, 6 August 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration on Wednesday called for the urgent finalisation of regulations required to implement recently amended public service legislation that is critical for professionalising the state.
The committee received a briefing from the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) on progress in reviewing the Public Service Regulations and the Public Administration Management Regulations. The Public Administration Management Amendment Act and the Public Service Amendment Act were signed into law in March 2026 and came into effect in April.
The amendments are intended to strengthen accountability and improve efficiency in the public service. The amended Public Service Act restricts conflicts of interest and closes avenues for corruption, particularly through the devolution of certain administrative powers from political executives to heads of departments. Amendments to the Public Administration Management Amendment Act were aimed, among other things, at strengthening provisions prohibiting public servants from conducting business with the state.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Jan de Villiers, noted that these legislative reforms are critical for creating a more professional and accountable public service that is insulated from capture. “These are important steps in un-capturing the state,” he said, but the intended reforms cannot be fully realised without clear regulations to guide their implementation.” The Chairperson stressed that Parliament had a responsibility to monitor progress with implementing the amendments and ensure the completion of the necessary administrative work required to give effect to them without delay.
Members wanted to know why the regulations had not been developed at the same time as the legislation and called for clear implementation targets and timelines for completion dates. Members also called on the department to institute measures to prevent further delays and provide guidance for other departments during the transitional period.
The committee wanted to know who was being held accountable for the delay and whether this absence of regulations was affecting the implementation of reforms aimed at strengthening professionalism and efficiency of the public service.
The committee heard that a task team had developed a process map and timelines for drafting the regulations. According to the Department of Public Service and Administration, relevant branches and units within the department had also been requested to submit proposed amendments arising from the new legislation and existing policy requirements. However, the department acknowledged that its legal services unit did not currently have sufficient capacity and the services of an external legal consultant are being procured to assist with drafting the regulations.
The department attributed its capacity constraints partly to the departure of three senior officials with relevant legal and technical expertise. It said it was reviewing its organisational structure and intended to fill the identified gaps while using external expertise to accelerate the regulatory process.
The department informed the committee that the external consultant would work under a service-level agreement containing timelines for drafting, consultation and approval. Existing intergovernmental structures would be used to coordinate consultation, and circulars were being issued to guide departments while the regulations were being developed.
The committee was also informed that the Public Administration Management Regulations would require consultation with the minister responsible for local government, the Minister of Finance, organised local government and, where applicable, the minister responsible for public enterprises.
The Chairperson noted the explanations and reiterated the importance of fully implementing the legislation to build a professional, ethical and capable state. “Reform efforts as demonstrated with these amendments are meaningless if they end with the President’s signature. We need proper enforcement and implementation of these laws to build and improve the public service we need,” he said.
The committee also received a briefing from the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) on the impact of innovation projects on service delivery. Members welcomed evidence presented by the CPSI that relatively simple and low-cost innovations could produce measurable improvements in public services.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION, MR JAN DE VILLIERS.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Name: Alicestine October
Cell: 083 665 4345
E-mail: aoctober@parliament.gov.za
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