Public servants have been given the green light to stand as candidates in the November 1 local government elections, but will have to resign from the state’s employ should they be elected as councillors.
The Public Service Act allows government employees to participate as candidates for elections but their involvement is subject to the code of conduct governing their conditions of service and any other prescribed limits and conditions.
However, regulations require that public servants should refrain from party political activities in the workplace.
The Department of Public Service and Administration has set up guidelines for government employees wishing to assume political office in the municipal polls.
According to the department, the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) often makes use of assistance from public servants as voting or counting officers and it accepts that some state employees might want to explore careers in politics.
An employee who is standing as a candidate for the elections needs to inform their head of department in writing the working day following the IEC issuing him/her with a candidacy certificate.
They will also be required to submit the leave forms and a copy of the certificate to the head of department on the same day after internal departmental processes are concluded.
Leave is granted until a day after elections and if the employee does not have sufficient annual leave days, he/she will take unpaid leave for the period in question.
The government has allowed its employees to register as candidates for the local government elections and perform other remunerative work by assisting the IEC as voting staff during the elections.
This is to ensure that government employees do not contravene the Public Service Code of Conduct, which prevents other remunerative work outside their jobs.
According to the department, assisting the IEC during elections is not considered as conducting business with an organ of state.
“An employee should have written permission from the executive authority (minister) before performing other remunerative work and the executive authority has 30 working days to consider the application,” the department stated.
Depending on the outcome of the municipal polls, if an employee is elected and accepts the results, they have to resign from the public service immediately before the date he or she assumes office.
They will be allowed to return if elected, but decline to serve as councillors and the leave will lapse on the date that the employee declines election, and they will be forced to return to work a day after an employee declines the election.
All election-related leave will lapse the day after the polls, according to the department.
Among the considerations before permission is granted are the impact of outside work in the employee’s performance of his/her responsibilities in the department and possible contravention of the code of conduct.
The department has also warned that employees with permission to work for the IEC should not perform such functions during official working hours, use official equipment or state resources.
And after the elections, an employee will not be permitted to perform other remunerative work with the IEC.
Public servants can also no longer work as part-time councillors.
Political Bureau