Public Service Commission (PSC) Commissioner, Anele Gxoyiya, says the Commission had up to the end of December 2021, registered 444 grievances including 158 carried over from the previous financial year.

Gxoyiya said of the 444 grievances, 109 (24.5%) were not properly referred and 335 (75.5%) were properly referred.

Addressing the media in Pretoria on Wednesday, Gxoyiya said grievances, which were not properly referred, are those that were either being dealt with elsewhere such as bargaining councils and those that were still not finalised in the departments.

“The PSC is concerned about the continued referral of grievances outside the provisions of the Grievance Rules, 2003 as a result it calls upon Labour Relations Officers within departments to ensure that on an annual basis employees are workshopped on these Rules,” Gxoyiya said.

Gxoyiya said unions are also called upon to play an active role in assisting their members in lodging grievances, and where the timeframe for lodging grievances has lapsed, to advise them accordingly.

Gxoyiya explained that of the 335 grievances that were properly referred to the PSC, approximately 95% are referred by employees and 5% are referred by Executive Authorities (EAs).

“Referral of grievances by employees is an indication that departments have failed to resolve these grievances internally within the prescribed timeframes,” Gxoyiya said.

Gxoyiya said the PSC has the mandate to investigate, either of its own accord or on receipt of any complaint, personnel and public administration practices to report to the relevant EAs and legislature.

With regard to corruption, Gxoyiya said 24 650 cases of alleged corruption were reported by callers and whistle-blowers as at 31 December 2021 since the inception of the National Anti-Corruption Hotline in September 2004.

“During the third quarter of 2021/2022 financial year, the PSC recorded a total of 347 cases. These cases are slightly higher than 337 cases received in the second quarter and 282 received in the first quarter of 2020/2021 financial year,” Gxoyiya said.

“During the first, second and third quarter of the 2021/2022 financial year, 32 feedback of alleged corruption relating to national departments were submitted to Complaints and Grievance Panel for the determination of the closure and 65 feedback of alleged corruption relating to provincial departments were presented to the provincial panels and closed through early resolution,” he said.

According to Gxoyiya, all the 65 cases relating to provincial departments were unsubstantiated.

Source: South African Government News Agency