President Jacob Zuma says accounting officers of departments, constitutional institutions and accounting authorities of public entities are required to comply and ensure compliance with the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).

In his reply to written questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, Zuma said the Act requires accounting officers and accounting authorities to take effective and appropriate disciplinary steps against those found to have transgressed.

This, according to Zuma, is for preventing financial transgressions.

National School of Government

With regard to questions on the strengthening of the public sector, Zuma said government established the National School of Government to build capacity for a professional public service.

Zuma explained that the school is designed to prepare new entrants to learn, grow, and serve the public service.

“The programmes, though differentiated for various occupational levels, have a common golden thread of stimulating appreciation of and commitment to the principles and values of public service and administration as articulated in Chapter 10 of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996.

“The National School of Government is also rolling out a pre-service training programme targeting unemployed graduates, as well as in-service training and professional development courses, all of which carry the theme of respect for the Constitution as a fundamental requirement for public service,” he said.

The National School of Government was launched in October 2013.

The purpose of the National School of Government is to build an effective and professional public service through the provision of relevant, mandatory training programmes.

The establishment of the school emanates from the decision to professionalise the public service as a means to realise the national development objectives of the country and thereby support sustainable growth, development and service delivery.