13 Apr 2026

Lawmakers have warned that the Public Service Act will remain ineffective unless government aggressively tackles corruption and replaces political patronage with a strictly merit-based appointment system. Contributing to the debate on the Public Service Bill of 2026, presented by Minister for State President, Defence and Security recently, MP for Okavango West, Mr Kenny Kapinga argued that poor leadership had caused the public sector’s deterioration over the years. 

Mr Kapinga opined that placing incompetent people in key positions, especially accounting roles, undermined confidence and reduces productivity. 

He emphasised that public service leaders must uphold high ethical standards and eliminate corruption, noting that the same principles applied to political leadership, which served as a role model for subordinates. 

“If political leaders are corrupt, subordinates will follow suit,” Mr Kapinga said, citing past cases where some public servants amassed unexplained wealth due to weak accountability. 

On promotions, he urged government to avoid promoting workers into redundancy and to base promotions on merit and performance rather than years of service.

 He supported the idea of a fan-shaped progression structure to prevent inefficiency. Mr Kapinga warned against public servants actively engaging in partisan politics, saying they should only quietly associate with parties of their choice to avoid dividing the civil service. 

He recommended forcing employees with excessive leave days to take leave to prevent corruption risks and called for measures to address public servants who commit their entire salaries to loans, describing it as discreditable conduct. 

He also proposed decentralising some Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) functions to ministries to reduce bureaucracy and stressed that hiring must be based on merit and relevant expertise. 

MP for Metsimotlhabe-Mmopane, Ms Helen Manyeneng, welcomed the Bill, saying it aligned with the ILO Convention and protected workers’ rights violated in past strikes at Debswana and BCL. She highlighted issues of favouring foreign workers over qualified locals, preventing unionisation and unfair wage practices. 

MP for Kgatleng Central, Mr Mpho Morolong, supported paternity leave but urged similar leave for women during menstrual periods to ease period pains affecting productivity. 

He called for commitment allowances for critical roles and better monetary rewards plus promotions for high performers. MP for Francistown East, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi, advocated accelerated promotions for excellent performers and welcomed protections for probationary staff against unfair termination. 

He opposed public servants engaging in politics that undermined government. ENDS