MODULE :PUB3707
,PUB3707 Exam Questions &
Answer Pack
Contains:
• Exam Questions & Answers
• Study Notes
, PUB3707 – Ethics – Lecturers Possible Exam Questions – Study Exam Notes – 2019
Willmary Murtz - Study Guide 1
The question paper
The duration of the examination is 2 hours.
The exam paper consists of two sections, i.e.
Section A which deals with Study Guide 1: Ethics in Public Administration and
Section A comprises a total of three questions, i.e. Question 1 which counts 20 marks, Question 2
which counts 15 marks and Question 3 which counts 15 marks.
Section B which deals with Study Guide 2: Administrative Justice.
Section B also comprises a total of three questions, i.e. Question 4 which counts 10 marks, Question 5 which
counts 20 marks and Question 6 which counts 20 marks.
Section 195(1) of the Constitution provides the framework for intergovernmental
relations and prescribes the following basic values and principles for public
administration:
a) a high standard of professional ethics must be promoted and maintained;
b) efficient, economic and effective use of resources must be promoted;
c) public administration must be development-oriented;
d) services must be provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias;
e) people's needs must be responded to and the public must be encouraged to participate in policy-making;
f) public administration must be accountable;
g) transparency must be fostered by providing the public with timely, accessible and accurate information;
h) good human-resource management and career-development practices, to maximise human potential, must
be cultivated; and
i) public administration must be broadly representative of the South African people, with employment and
personnel management practices based on ability, objectivity, fairness and the need to redress the
imbalances of the past to achieve broad representation.
, PUB3707 – Ethics – Lecturers Possible Exam Questions – Study Exam Notes – 2019
Willmary Murtz - Study Guide 1
STUDY GUIDE 1
1. Public officials are placed in a position of trust. But what are the implications
for that position of trust if an official in the service of the state receives a
commission to ensure that someone who is not eligible for a state pension does
receive one? [15]
A public official is anyone in a position of official authority that is conferred by a state, i.e someone who holds a
legislative, administrative, or judicial position of any kind, whether appointed or elected
Public administration must adhere to traditional values of democracy such as responsibility and accountability
as stated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (section 195).
This means that public officials are in a position of trust with an obligation to deliver public services to the
people in an ethical manner. Officials can be held accountable for their actions.
Public officials have a professional responsibility towards society to provide the highest level of service at all
times. They do not act in their own interests but perform their actions in the interest of the people and society.
Therefore, public officials need to be aware whether or not their actions are ethically correct and permissible.
Ethical guidelines offer the necessary guidance for public officials to know whether their actions are right or
wrong; and good or bad. Interventions such as corruptive practices and theft by public officials, however,
influence the manner in which they exercise public administration and ultimately have a negative influence on
the quality of public services that are so necessary for our daily lives.
The Public official in the service of the state that receives a commission to ensure that someone who is not
eligible for a state pension is busy with unethical conduct and is committing fraud/corruption as the person that
he helped with getting the state pension did not have the government policy/legal criteria to be eligible to get
this pension.
The Public Official is involved in theft of public funds, because he helped the person that was not eligible for
the pension to get a state pension that was intended for those who are eligible for state pension funds.
The actions of public officials should always be aimed at improving the general welfare of the public. Their
actions must, therefore be to the advantage of the individual and the community. Section 195 of the 1996
Constitution provides that public administration must be governed by principles such as accountability,
transparency, efficiency and effectiveness. These principles are basic rules of conduct or ethical conduct. This
means that the public official distinguish right from wrong and good from bad, and have a commitment to do
what is right and good.
The Public Officials can be held responsible and accountable for his/her actions and also be subject to
disciplinary process if found out of any unethical behaviour, fraud, corruption or misconduct. The Public Official
can even be fired or face criminal charges in some cases.
Public Official’s actions have direct ethical and practical implications either for good (the welfare services are
delivered) or bad (the welfare services are not delivered); or for right (the welfare services are delivered
according to approved policy and legislation) or wrong (the welfare services are not delivered according to
approved policy and legislation). The actions of public officials also affect his relations to the minister in charge
of his department.
When Public Officials are involved in the stealing of government money intended for the destitute it has a
direct/indirect impact on the government and the community as a whole. The community can also start to
mistrust the government system and process due to unethical or misconduct behaviour of Public Officials
which can lead to other public actions such as service deliver protest excreta.
