ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

   SECTION

PART I
Preliminary

              1.         Short title

              2.         Interpretation

              3.         Application

PART II
Public Service Structure

              4.         Public Service Structure

PART III
Composition of the Public Service

              5.         Composition

PART IV
General Public Service Principles and Standards

              6.         Public officers ’conduct standards

              7.         Human resource management standards

PART V
Administration of the Public Service

              8.         Head of the Public Service

              9.         Permanent Secretaries ’functions

            10.         Heads of Departments

            11.         Director of Public Service Management

            12.         Directions of the President

PART VI
Appointments to the Public Service

            13.         Appointments

            14.         Entry and advancement

            15.         Powers of appointment

            16.         Delegation of powers

            17.         Criteria for appointment

            18.         Disqualification for appointment

            19.         Appointment of Permanent Secretary to the President and Permanent Secretaries, etc.

            20.         Appointments to the National Assembly, etc.

            21.         Appointment of non-citizens

            22.         Retrospective appointments

            23.         Probation

            24.         Promotion

            25.         Date of promotion

PART VII
Termination of Appointments and Retirement

            26.         Termination of appointments

            27.         Summary dismissal

            28.         Retirement of public officers

            29.         Retirement on medical grounds

PART VIII
Public Officers General Provisions

            30.         General duties

            31.         General conditions of work

            32.         Fees for official services

            33.         Emoluments not to be ceded

            34.         Publications, interviews and use of official information

            35.         Suspension

PART IX
Misconduct and Unsatisfactory Service

            36.         General definition of misconduct

            37.         Particular types of misconduct

            38.         Sexual harassment

            39.         Disciplinary proceedings for misconduct

            40.         Punishments for misconduct

            41.         Inefficiency

PART X
Settlement of Disputes

            42.         Definitions

            43.         Grievances

            44.         Annual Report

PART XI
FreedomofAssociationforPublicOfficers

            45.         Right to join union

            46.         Recognition of public officers ’unions

PART XII
Industrial Action

            47.         Strikes by management

            48.         Lawful strikes, etc.

            49.         Certain strikes or lockouts not permitted

PART XIII
Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector

            50.         Establishment of Bargaining Council

            51.         Constitution of Council

            52.         Formation of Council

            53.         Functions of Council

            54.         Bargaining councils in the public service

            55.         Jurisdiction of Sectoral Bargaining Councils

            56.         Political activities of bargaining councils

            57.         Rights of trade union parties to the Council

            58.         Disclosure of information

PART XIV
Offences and Penalties

            59.         Influencing an appointing authority

            60.         Supplying false information

            61.         Improperly influencing an appointing authority

            62.         Supplying false information to commission

            63.         Improper disclosure

PART XV
Miscellaneous

            64.         Amendment of Schedule

            65.         Regulations

            66.         Repeal

            67.         Savings and transitional

                        SCHEDULE

Act 13, 1998,
Act 14, 2000,
Act 15, 2005,
Act 30, 2008,
S.I. 19, 2010.

An Act to re-enact with amendments the provisions relating to the public service of Botswana and matters incidental thereto and connected therewith.

[Date of Commencement:1st May, 2010]

1.       Short title

          This Act may be cited as the Public Service Act.

2.       Interpretation

          (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

          "appointing authority" means any person in whom the power to appoint, remove from office or exercise disciplinary control in terms of this Act vests;

          "appointment" includes a transfer, a promotion, a temporary appointment and an acting appointment;

          "citizen" means a citizen of Botswana;

          "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Labour;

          "Committee of Selection" has the meaning assigned to it by the Standing Orders of the National Assembly;

          "Director" means the Director of Public Service Management appointed under section 11;

          "employee" means any person who has entered into a contract of employment for the hire of his or her labour in terms of this Act;

          "employer" means the Government in respect of all of its officers except members of the Botswana Defence Force, the Botswana Police Service, the Local Police Service, and the Prison Service;

          "Head of Department" means the head of a government department other than an extra ministerial department;

          "National Vision" means any long term vision for Botswana;

          "non-citizen" means a person who is not a citizen of Botswana;

          "promotion" means the appointment of a public officer to a higher public office with an increase or potential increase of salary;

          "public officer" means a person holding or acting in any public office, and being an employee to whom this Act applies;

          "senior management" means those persons in the public service, who are appointed by the Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) or the President, as the case may be;

          "strike" means the cessation of work by a body of employees acting in combination or under a common understanding or a concerted refusal or a refusal under a common understanding by such body of employees to continue to work;

          "supervising officer", in relation to an employee, means the public officer designated, or delegated, under this Act, to supervise and exercise disciplinary control over that employee;

          "transfer" means the appointment of an employee to another public office with or without an adjustment to his or her salary.

          (2) For the purposes of the public service and section 112 of the Constitution," Permanent Secretary" means the holder of the public office of that designation responsible, subject to the directions and control of the Minister, for the supervision of a Ministry, and includes the holders of the public offices listed in the Schedule to this Act.

          (3) For the purposes of this Act," the Permanent Secretary" means the holder of the public office of that designation responsible, subject to the directions and control of the Minister, for the administration of a Ministry or department and includes---

    (a)     the Attorney-General in respect of the Attorney-General's Chambers;

    (b)     the Auditor-General in respect of the Auditor-General's Office;

    (c)     the Clerk of the National Assembly in respect of the offices of the National Assembly;

    (d)     the Registrar of the High Court in respect of the staff of the High Court and the Magistracy; and

    (e)     the Registrar of the Industrial Court in respect of the staff of theIndustrial Court.

3.       Application

          The provisions of this Act shall not apply to members of the-

    (a)     Botswana Defence Force;

    (b)     Botswana Police Service;

    (c)     Local Police Service; and

    (d)     Prison Service.