17 Mar 2015

Section 5 (5) of the Public Service Act (CAP. 26:01) prohibits public officers from publicly speaking or demonstrating for or against any politician or political party, being an active member of, or holding office in any political party; publishing his or her views on political matters in writing; or holding a parliamentary seat or a political office in any local government, except where the office is held ex officio.

Answering a question in Parliament from the MP for Ghanzi North, Mr Noah Salakae, the Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Eric Molale, said it was therefore clear that in terms of the law, public servants were politically neutral as they served government of the day and they provided continuity that was necessary in the public service.

He noted that this position was also espoused under the Public Service Charter principle of neutrality that required public servants to remain politically neutral; serve members of the public without any political influence and give them equal treatment.

“Political neutrality means public servants are obliged to give their very best regardless of the government in power. Therefore public officers are not supposed to, and do not get involved in active or partisan politics,” he said.

He said the former Permanent Secretary to the President was not involved in party politics, adding that in this position, he did not, either directly or indirectly, act in a way that breached any of the provisions of Section 5(5) of the Public Service Act or the Public Service Charter. Mr Molale therefore said it was incorrect to allege or suggest that he was deeply involved in politics at all.

He said the correct scenario was that the former Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) was not involved in politics. The prevailing practice had always been that some public servants who retired or resign, had within a short space of time joined party politics and stood for office across the political divide.

He said former politicians had also been employed in the public service irrespective of their party affiliation for as long as they no longer actively participated in politics.

MP Salakae had asked the minister to state what constituted the involvement of public officers in politics and also to state whether the fact that the PSP’s appointment to cabinet shortly after resigning from public service was not a sign that he was deeply involved in politics to the extent of being trusted with a cabinet post.

He also wanted to know if this scenario did not create the impression that involvement in Botswana Democratic Party politics was not a problem but it was an issue only when public servants support opposition parties. ENDS