CAPE TOWN - Public Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo is refuting claims that government plans to let go of 30,000 public servants.
On the 10 August, the Mail & Guardian reported that government planned to let go of 30 000 workers over a three year period in order to reduce costs.
Minister Dlodlo, while speaking at the Rahima Moosa Hospital public engagement session, said that the media report was a misrepresentation of government’s programme.
Dlodlo said: "the report is a complete misrepresentation of the government programme in relation to the macro organisation of the state and the initiatives proposed to manage the public sector wage bill."
The minister went on to add that President Cyril Ramaphosa's drive is aimed at restructuring government and is intended to push out better service delivery.
She added that the government intends to make "the public administration more effective and efficient by removing superfluous functions and structures". This does not include an option of retrenchment as reported in the media.
She argued that the M&G report created dangerous panic.
"It's intended objective is to create unnecessary and dangerous panic not only in the public service but the entire country and it must be rejected with the contempt it deserves."
“The report is a complete misrepresentation of the government’s programme in relation to the macro organisation of the state and the initiatives proposed to manage the public sector wage bill.”
The minister also reiterated that there is simply no substantial evidence that there is an over-staffing issue in the public service industry.
Dlodlo did add that government plans to restructure the public service sector.
“I assure public servants that government does not have a plan to retrench public servants en masse as alleged by the Mail & Guardian newspaper.
“If people leave the public service, it will not be because of retrenchment, but it will be because of packages offered to them with no penalties,” Dlodlo added.
Government is looking at decreasing public servant numbers but has not concluded that retrenchments will take place.
Dlodlo concluded that the administration is investigating ways to usher in a new generation of younger workers and also looking at reskilling.