There were 6,333 foreign nationals employed in the public service as at the end April and the department of public service plans to tighten the strings on their employment.
The number of foreign workers is particularly concentrated in the education and health sectors, where 3,305 and 2,625 workers, respectively, are employed at national and provincial levels combined.
Foreign nationals represent only 0.5% of the estimated 1,390,216 public servants, but the public service and administration minister says the department plans to issue a directive on the use of foreign nationals within the public service, which aligns with the government’s labour policy to prioritise the employment of South Africans.
The cabinet recently approved the white paper on the national labour migration policy and the Employment Services Amendment Bill, both of which aim to ensure the prioritisation of local workers and set clear guidelines for the hiring of foreign workers.
The policy introduces quotas for the employment of foreign workers in major sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, tourism and construction, and complements existing measures such as sector restrictions on foreign business visas and limitations on foreign-owned small business.
Public service and administration minister Mzamo Buthelezi replied in writing to a parliamentary question by African Transformation Movement MP Vuyo Zungula, who asked what the department’s plans were to prioritise SA citizens in public sector employment, particularly in positions where foreign nationals were not providing scarce and/or critical skills. He also wanted to know whether the government had a skills transfer programme.
Buthelezi said the foreign nationals employed by the government included permanent residents and individuals holding valid work visas.
“The employment of foreign nationals in the public sector is guided by critical skills needs, with priority given to areas experiencing skills shortages. As such, most foreign nationals are employed in the health and education sectors, where their expertise addresses service delivery gaps,” Buthelezi said.
He said the aim of the proposed directive was to ensure that foreign nationals were employed only in positions with a clearly identified skills shortage.
The department would consider limiting employment contracts for foreign nationals to a maximum of three years, with no automatic renewal, to ensure a periodic reassessment of the availability of local skills.
“Departments are required to develop and implement skills transfer plans for every appointment involving foreign nationals, ensuring that critical skills are systematically transferred to suitably qualified SA citizens,” the minister said.
“The forthcoming directive on the utilisation of foreign nationals within the public service aims to formalise and standardise skills development and transfer obligations.”
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