Minister of Public Service and Administration Noxolo Kiviet has revealed that hundreds of officials in government departments are doing business with the state.
The Public Administration Management Act prohibits officials from conducting business with the state.
Kiviet said some of the officials who have been found guilty of doing business with the state have been fired, others have been given final warnings and others resigned before their disciplinary hearings could take place.
She also said government terminated contracts of some of the employees who were implicated.
Kiviet said in the 2020/21 financial year there were 484 public servants who were doing business with departments. This number was 181 in the 2021/22 financial year.
She said during the 2022/23 financial year they discovered that there were 366 public servants who were doing business with various departments.
However, she said they were taking a number of measures to prevent this because it is in violation of the law.
Kiviet, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from Democratic Alliance member of Parliament (MP) Mimmy Gondwe, said this includes working with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and National Prosecuting Authority to crack down on this.
“The Department of Public Service and Administration formed a Task Team with the South African Police Service and National Prosecuting Authority to assist departments to act against employees conducting business with the State,” she said.
“Seven public service employees employed by SAPS were charged and convicted of conducting business with the State under Section 8 of the Public Administration Management Act, 2014. These employees were dismissed from SAPS.”
Kiviet said public servants who were doing this were in national departments and provincial departments.
She said they were monitoring the implementation of the law, and where there have been breaches they act.
“The Department of Public Service and Administration monitors the implementation of the prohibition on public servants who are conducting business with the State through the Central Supplier Database,” said Kiviet.
“Upon receipt of the report from the Central Supplier Database, the department of public service and administration forwards a list of identified public servants to the departments in which they are employed,” she said.
“These departments are required to provide the department with progress made on implementing the prohibition, including on action taken against those public servants who were found guilty of conducting business with the state.”
She added that a number of actions have been taken against those found to have been conducting business with the state. The actions taken by departments included dismissals, contracts being terminated and officials being given final warnings.
But others resigned before disciplinary action was taken against them.