Ethics, integrity top priorities for public service

The Department of Public Service and Administration’s (DPSA) Strengthening Ethics, Integrity and Green Governance (SEIGG) Project is poised to catapult the public service into a new era of strengthened accountability, transparency and ethical conduct.

The project will run from 2025 to 2030 and is funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Cowater International, with a budget of approximately R50 million.

At the launch of the project, DPSA Acting Director-General Willie Vukela noted that SEIGG builds on work already done under the Strengthening Ethics, Integrity Project.

“[The] Strengthening Ethics, Integrity Project, over the past years, has laid a solid foundation. We are not starting from scratch. We are building on that success and charting a new ambitious course for the future of our public service.

“As we launch this chapter, it is important to reflect on where we have come from. The project was a critical enabler in our efforts to professionalise the public service and restore the public trust.

“It demonstrated the power of a genuine partnership where technical assistance is co-owned and co-developed to address our country’s present challenges.

The five-year initiative focuses on:

• Safer workplaces: Strengthening the prevention of and response to harassment, including sexual harassment.
• Ethics and professional conduct: Improving ethics, integrity and disciplinary management across public administration.
• Protecting public procurement: Strengthening prevention, monitoring and early detection measures, with a focus on promoting integrity and good governance within the climate change and energy sectors.
• Promoting good governance in the climate change and energy sectors.

“What we are doing here is to put a brick on the foundation for a better future of our citizens. The fundamentals are to address the basics, so that the citizens can begin to enjoy service delivery,” Vukela said.

An ethical public service

The SEIGG also builds on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s assurance during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) earlier this year that government is building an ethical and capable public service, supported by “committed and honest public servants with the right skills and a deep culture of service”.

Government has already passed significant new legislation to professionalise the public service, such as the Public Service Amendment Bill.

“[This] will protect key appointments from political interference and ensure that capable and qualified people are appointed to senior positions on the basis of their suitability for the job,” the president said at the time

The bill was signed into law in April this year and is now known as the Public Service Amendment Act 9 of 2025 together with the Public Administration Management Amendment Act, 2025.

Disciplined and ethical public servants are now also par for the course.

“Lifestyle audits have been made mandatory for senior public servants, reaching 93% compliance across departments last year.

“We are establishing a central registry for disciplinary cases across all spheres of government. This will prevent people who are facing or have undergone disciplinary action from being employed elsewhere in the state,” President Ramaphosa assured during the SONA. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.