Constitutional Bodies in Pretoria

The Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) conducts regularity audits of national and provincial government departments, identified public entities, municipalities and municipal entities (its clients or auditees). Furthermore, AGSA conducts discretionary audits, such as performance audits, special audits and investigations. Its audit reports are made public and are tabled in Parliament, provincial legislatures and municipal councils. In addition to these audit-specific reports, AGSA publishes general reports each year, in which it analyses the outcomes of the audits at national, provincial and municipal levels. Through its audit activities, AGSA plays an important role in enabling accountability and thus promoting sound financial governance practices in South Africa. It does this by providing independent assurance to the various legislatures on whether entities that use public funds have managed their financial affairs in line with sound financial principles, have complied with the relevant legal framework, and have provided credible information on the achievement of their financial and performance objectives. In this way, the elected representatives of the South African people are able to hold the executive and accounting authorities, officials and public entities accountable. Ultimately, AGSA's work empowers citizens to hold the custodians of public resources accountable. AGSA is accountable to the National Assembly, to which it reports annually on its activities and the performance of its functions by tabling the main accountability instruments, namely its strategic plan and budget and its annual report. The Standing Committee on the Auditor-General (SCoAG), established in terms of the Constitution and the PAA, oversees AGSA's performance on behalf of the National Assembly.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) was established in terms of Section 196 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. The PSC is supported by the Office of the Public Service Commission (OPSC), headed by the Director-General who is the Accounting Officer. The mission of the PSC is to promote the constitutionally enshrined democratic principles and values of the public service by investigating, researching, monitoring, evaluating, communicating and reporting on public administration. The Commission's functions are to: promote the constitutionally prescribed values and principles governing public administration in the public service; investigate, monitor and evaluate the organisation and administration, and the personnel practices, of the public service; propose measures to ensure effective and efficient performance within the public service; give directions aimed at ensuring that personnel procedures relating to recruitment, transfers, promotions and dismissals comply with the constitutionally prescribed values and principles; report in respect of its activities and the performance of its functions, including any finding it may make and directions and advice it may give, and provide an evaluation of the extent to which the constitutionally prescribed values and principles are complied with; either of its own accord or on receipt of any complaint, investigate and evaluate the application of personnel and public administration practices, and report to the relevant executive authority and legislature; investigate grievances of employees in the public service concerning official acts or omissions, and recommend appropriate remedies; monitor and investigate adherence to applicable procedures in the public service; and advise national and provincial organs of state regarding personnel practices in the public service, including those relating to the recruitment, appointment, transfer, discharge and other aspects of the careers of employees in the public service.