The Socialist Party of Azania (SOPA) Petition against crisis in the Public Sector

The petition is addressed to the Honourable President of the Republic of South

Africa, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa and the Honourable Minister of Public Service and

Administration.

Date: 13 October 2025

Introduction.

The Socialist Party of Azania (SOPA) is calling upon organised labour, community

organizations, civil society organizations, progressive political organizations and all ,

of our people and individuals to sign petition to force the government of the Republic

of South Africa (RSA) to lift the moratorium on filling vacant post in the public sector.

This petition arises from the urgent crisis in South Africa’s public service caused by

the government’s moratorium on filling vacant posts. The freeze has devastated

service delivery, impoverished workers, exacerbated unemployment, and stunted the

career of newly qualified graduates and professionals.

We reject the narrative that this is a necessary austerity measure. It is, in fact, a

political choice that abandons the constitutional mandate to deliver quality public

services and uphold the dignity of work. Our Demands

1. Immediate filling of all funded vacant posts in essential services across

national and provincial departments.

2. Permanent employment for qualifying contract workers performing ongoing

duties in public service.

3. Transparent quarterly reporting of vacancies by department, province, and

occupation.

4. Protection of frontline service budgets from austerity-driven cuts.

5. Accountability for maladministration and corruption that undermine fiscal

sustainability and service delivery.

6. Abolition of outsourcing and casualization of blue-collar public sector jobs.

7. Prosecution of state entities defaulting on pension fund obligations and

misusing worker savings.

8. Introduction of a Basic Income Grant to cushion the unemployed and poor.

9. Urgent intervention to prevent mass retrenchments in the private sector,

particularly at Arcelor Mittal, Goodyear, and Ford.

10. Reallocation of non-essential expenditure, including perks for politicians, and

abolition of provincial governments to redirect resources towards essential

services.

Rejecting the hefty wage bill agreement

We reject the government’s excuse that public sector wages consume over

40% of the national budget. We. The crisis is not caused by nurses, teachers,

or social workers—it is fuelled by bloated executive perks, wasteful

expenditure, and structural inefficiencies. The solution lies in cutting political

excess, not essential services.

Together, we affirm: Fill the Posts. Save the Services. Defend Dignity.

Conclusion

We call on the President of RSA and Department of Public Service and

Administration to act with urgency and integrity. The people of South Africa

cannot wait. The crisis is now. The solution is clear.

Signed: Thami Hukwe Secretary General