National Assembly Adopts Public Service Commission Bill [B16B-2023]

Posted 03 July 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Parliament

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: In terms of the legislative program of the National Assembly, the Public Service Commission Bill [B16B-2023] has been adopted and referred to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for concurrence.

The Bill, which was originally tabled in October 2023, lapsed upon the dissolution of the previous Parliament in May 2024. Following its revival by the new committee, the ‘B’ version of the Bill was processed and adopted by the House in March 2025. The legislation is now under consideration by the NCOP Committee on Co-operative Governance & Public Administration. Once enacted, the Bill will repeal the Public Service Commission Act, No. 46 of 1997.

The proposed legislation aims to strengthen the independence of the Public Service Commission (PSC) and broaden its jurisdiction. Key provisions include:

  • Establishing the PSC as a fully independent constitutional body with its own secretariat, separate from the Department of Public Service & Administration.
  • Expanding the PSC’s mandate beyond national and provincial departments to include local government (municipalities) and specified public entities.
  • Providing for the appointment of a Commissioner for each of the nine provinces to ensure localized oversight and responsiveness.
  • Enhancing the Commission’s powers to investigate, monitor, and evaluate the organization, administration, and human resource practices of the public service.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: Compliance officers and legal advisors in the public sector must prepare for a shift in reporting structures as the PSC gains administrative independence from the executive branch.
  • For your business: Professional services firms auditing or advising public entities must update compliance frameworks to include PSC oversight of human resource and administrative practices.
  • For your clients: Municipalities and state-owned enterprises will be subject to the PSC’s jurisdiction for the first time, requiring a review of internal grievance procedures and recruitment protocols to ensure alignment with PSC standards.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/public-service-commission-bill-national-assembly-adoption-a-significant-milestone-minister

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