BLSA CEO’s Weekly Newsletter – Progress on Zondo reforms highlights both gains and gaps

Three reforms from Raymond Zondo’s recommendations have advanced, including two new laws and the whistleblower bill. The new acts professionalise the public service but still allow political influence and lack strong oversight. The whistleblower bill improves protections but has gaps in scope, clarity, and enforcement. Progress is real, but further reform and stronger safeguards are still needed. Every piece of reform that gets implemented is hard-won. It usually goes through a drawn-out process of design, including multi stakeholders, then it’s ironed out into a piece of legislation, where the public has input before going through parliamentary approval processes. Then the challenge of effective implementation begins. This has certainly been the case with three important pieces of legislation flowing from Judge Raymond Zondo’s recommendations that recently took major steps forward – nearly four years after his final report into state capture was published in June 2022. The Public Service Amendment Act, gazetted on 1 April, takes direct aim at cadre deployment by shifting administrative powers – including over appointments – from politicians to heads of department. Alongside it, the Public Administration Management Amendment Act strengthens ethical standards and accountability across the public service. Both acts go to the heart of what […]

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