Budget constraints have PSC on verge of collapse

THE Public Service Commission (PSC) has laid bare its frustrations with its limited budget that, it says, is preventing it from carrying out its constitutional mandate.

The matter is so serious that the commission is asking for an audience with Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba.

The commission has cut its personnel from 299 to 277 in the past two financial years owing to belt-tightening and is saddled with “very old” ICT infrastructure and office furniture in use for more than 20 years.

This came to light this week after PSC chairman Richard Sizani confirmed to the Official Opposition that the commission was investigating Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi for alleged abuse of office.

The DA requested a probe into allegations that Muthambi had expanded her private office to 40 people, with some of those employed allegedly family members and friends.

In a letter to the DA’s Desiree van der Walt, Sizani said the Chapter Nine Institution was “severely” constrained. “The honourable member will note that I have indicated that the PSC has reached a point where its limited budget and human resources impede its ability to discharge its mandate,” he said.

However, Sizani assured Van der Walt that they would prioritise her request within human and financial constraints.

In his letter to Gigaba, Sizani asked the National Treasury to reconsider the budget allocation for the remainder of 2017-18, ending in March, and 2018-19, starting in April.

He said they had a R7.2 million budget shortfall for operational costs.

Correspondence shared by Sizani showed the PSC had begged for additional resources before Pravin Gordhan was fired as finance minister.

In a November letter to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete, Sizani said the commission had suffered budget shortfalls due to cost-cutting measures and lack of understanding of their mandate.

He told her that verbal commitments had been made by the National Treasury to address the shortfall, but neither Gigaba nor his predecessor had responded to their concerns.

The commission is mandated to conduct investigations into personnel and administration practices.