EFF introduces Insourcing Bill in Parliament

CAPE TOWN - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have introduced a new bill in Parliament aimed at compelling the State to insource all essential and regularly required services from security and cleaning, to information technology and auditing.  

The party said that if these services were insourced, it would curb tender fraud and inflated pricing.  

The red berets argue that the State’s ability to provide quality services has eroded over time because of the high reliance on external service providers. 

The bill, sponsored by EFF MP, Omphile Maotwe, has been in the offing for three years since it was first published for public comment.  

The party said outsourcing services has led to the exploitation of workers employed by service providers, often on a casual basis with minimum job security and little pay. 

Among the list of services, the EFF wants State departments and entities to insource gardening, building maintenance, transport and health services. 

It said municipalities, in particular, have been failing to meet service delivery expectations because they have not replaced skills lost due to natural attrition. 

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The Insourcing Bill prescribes that ministers create an insourcing policy and set criteria for when a service may be outsourced. 

A Director-General would have to provide proof that no internal capacity exists to perform the required service.  

The accounting officer must also produce a quarterly report on the services that have been outsourced and the reasons for this.  

The EFF also wants service providers to be compelled to provide training to a State employee.