Public service (mis)management of the gifts: travesty to fostering integrity and preventing corruption

Abstract

This paper seeks to analyse South Africa’s regulatory frameworks relating to the receipt of gifts in the Public Service in order to assess the mechanisms for management of this practice in Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM). the paper reports a study that adopted a qualitative approach to conduct desktop, questionnaire and interview surveys. Whereas desktop study was used to compile information on the regulatory frameworks relating to this phenomenon, questionnaire and interviews were administered within the SDM to determine the extent of the gifts receipt practice. The paper finds that worldwide, the acceptance of gifts in the Public Service and private sector is a common frequently experienced phenomenon largely due to the negligible attention placed on these practices in the codes of conduct/ethics. the SDM survey results show that the absence of clear principles makes it difficult to foster existing regulatory provisions for managing receipt of gifts, thereby undermining efforts towards the prevention of corruption. The paper presents recommendations that could potentially enhance the management of gifts in Public Service.