Parliament, Wednesday, 26 November 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration today welcomed a progress report on the regulations to prescribe the use of a central register to verify the disciplinary records of all shortlisted candidates for government posts.
On Wednesday, the committee received a monitoring report from the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) on the utilisation of the central register for discipline, as well as a report on grievances lodged in the public sector between 2021 and 2024.
The committee heard that the Draft Public Administration Management Regulations for the Central Register were published for public comment on 24 January 2025, and following the public participation process, the Office of the Chief State Law Advisor certified the regulations in October this year. The Minister for Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, will now seek concurrence from the Ministers of Finance and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, as well as the Chairperson of the South African Local Government Association. Once concurrence is secured, the regulations will be published in the Government Gazette and will become law.
The committee noted the central register as a key reform initiative aimed at strengthening accountability and professionalisation across the public service. Committee Chairperson Mr Jan de Villiers stressed that the register is a necessary intervention responding to longstanding concerns raised by the committee and stakeholders about the “revolving door” phenomenon. This refers to public servants who avoid accountability by leaving a department mid-process, only to resurface in another part of government, or even to be transferred to a new post after being found guilty of misconduct. “The register is the first meaningful step towards ending this widely criticised practice,” the Chairperson said.
He also noted that the register is an important tool that responds to recommendations that emerged from the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector, including Organs of State. “The register is essential for good governance, management and accountability and, when fully developed, will help strengthen public trust by demonstrating that wrongdoing in the public service is recorded properly and consistently acted upon.”
The Chairperson and members of the committee had several concerns, however. These included the need for clarity on whether the register applies to all three spheres of government and state-owned entities. Mr de Villiers advocated that all spheres of government, as well as state-owned entities, agencies and any institution whose employees draw salaries from public funds, be subjected to the register. “Without universal application, departments could still move problematic officials from one sphere or entity to another, enabling them to evade accountability,” he said.
Members also questioned whether the register captures disciplinary cases from the moment charges are initiated, or only after they are finalised, as this could create a loophole that allows public servants to leave whilst disciplinary cases are ongoing and then find employment elsewhere in government. “This would defeat the purpose of the register and create an unacceptable risk for the state,” the Chairperson said.
The Chairperson asked whether the system provides for a form of blacklisting, where categories of misconduct – such as dishonesty, unethical conduct, corruption, misappropriation or theft – would automatically disqualify an individual from taking up another post in government. “This is important, as no department should have discretion to reappoint a person found guilty of such offences,” he said.
The committee also urged transparency, cautioning that the system cannot rely on the originating department as the sole custodian of disciplinary information. When recruiting, departments should not depend on subjective reporting from a previous employer, as this opens the door to manipulation by managers who may want to protect favoured employees by withholding information. “This is a major gap that needs urgent attention,” the Chairperson said.
Several members further questioned the design of the register, noting that although it flags cases through PERSAL, it does not store disciplinary data itself, which could force departments to rely on other departments that may have an interest in withholding information. The committee cautioned that relying on originating departments to provide information without central verification creates opportunities for manipulation and undermines transparency.
Members also raised concerns about why departments continue to miss the prescribed 30- and 45-day timeframes for concluding disciplinary and grievance matters, and why there are weak consequences for persistent delays in finalising these cases.
Responding to some of the concerns, the Deputy Minister, Ms Pinky Kekana, acknowledged that the register is the first of its kind and will require continuous refinement. She said that the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) is supporting efforts to strengthen the system and reduce opportunities for manipulation. The Deputy Minister also emphasised that some delays in disciplinary processes arise from factors inherent in the democratic and constitutional framework, including employees’ rights to representation, legal processes and, in some cases, mental-health-related challenges.
The Chairperson reiterated that the purpose of the register is to ensure that no public servant can avoid accountability by moving among departments and spheres of government. He stressed that the system must be comprehensive, reliable and transparent. “Loopholes that allow departments to shield individuals from scrutiny are inconsistent with the goal of building a capable, ethical and professional public service. The committee will continue to exercise strict oversight over the implementation of the register, the finalisation of its regulatory framework and the management of disciplinary and grievance processes across departments,” said the Chairperson.
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 the committee’s media officer:
Name: Alicestine October (Ms)
Cell: 083 665 4345
E-mail: aoctober@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour