THE SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has rejected the government’s plan to streamline its workforce by encouraging early retirement among public servants, warning that this cost-cutting measure, aimed at reducing the public sector wage bill, threatens service delivery and jeopardises the livelihoods of thousands of working-class families.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced this initiative during his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in October.
The initiative seeks to reduce government employment costs while fostering a rejuvenation of the public service.
He said the National Treasury allocated R11 billion to fund the programme over the next two fiscal years, targeting approximately 30 000 employees for early retirement.
Godongwana last week addressed concerns regarding this initiative during a parliamentary response, emphasising that the programme would not be “free for all“ and would carefully safeguard critical skills within the government.
However, Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the public service was already having a massive vacancy rate.
According to Vavi, home affairs alone have 37% of what it requires to make the country’s immigration policy functional. The health department has 40 000 vacancies, while the SA Police Service (SAPS) has up to 60 000 vacancies.
As a result of these vacancies, says Vavi, South Africa’s ratios of the public sector to the population continue to deteriorate.
He made the following example:
- South Africa's police-to-population ratio is about 1:413, meaning there is one police officer for every 413 citizens (based on recent SAPS statistics). The UN recommends a police-to-population ratio of 1:450 as a general guideline.
- As of 2019, South Africa's doctor-to-population ratio was approximately 0.79 per 1,000 people. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a minimum of 1 doctor per 1,000 people.
- South Africa has 1.52 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, whereas the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends at least ten psychiatrists per 100,000. The situation is even more severe in rural areas, where the ratio drops to as low as 0.03 per 100,000.
- In South Africa, the ratio of correctional services staff to inmates is estimated at 1:25 in some facilities. Some of our correctional services facilities have up to 148.5% overcrowding. Prison Studies Penal Reform International. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules) recommends ratios closer to 1:3 or 1:5 to effectively manage rehabilitation programs, maintain security, and uphold prisoner rights. Penal Reform International.
- South Africa’s pupil-to-teacher ratio in public schools is approximately 29.8 learners per teacher by 2021. The global average pupil-to-teacher ratio in primary education is around 23.
Vavi said reducing the public sector by 30 000 would worsen the situation. He said this proposition could be made by a government that has lost touch with reality.
“It is a statement made by an uncaring state that has long abandoned the working class's interests. Lastly, it’s a statement made by people who long contracted out of the public service who and their families receive better services in the private sector, who have bodyguards and private security in their homes, and whose children received education in the private sector,’” Vavi said.
Saftu also disputed the “lie” repeatedly told to the country that the public servants were earning too much. The union said it was the higher echelons at the level of the director generals and politicians who were earning way above their counterparts, including when compared to the first world leaders.
This situation, according to Saftu, has worsened because of the “so-called” Government of National Unity (GNU), which has 32 cabinet ministers and 43 deputy ministers.
“SAFTU warns that the plan to cut 30,000 public servants will result in the loss of experienced professionals, the erosion of institutional knowledge, and further strain on already overstretched government services.
Public servants are the backbone of critical sectors, including healthcare, education, and social welfare. Encouraging early retirements will likely worsen the capacity crisis in government departments, particularly in rural and under-resourced areas, leaving vulnerable communities to suffer the consequences,” Vavi said.
Godongwna last week added that the programme has two key objectives. First, it aims to align the public service headcount with the government's tight budget. Second, it seeks to inject new energy into the public sector by creating space for young professionals and recent graduates.