In mid-January 2026, the New South Institute’s call for the signing of the Public Service Amendment Bill gained traction across a range of South African media platforms, following the release of an NSI statement on 15 January.

On 16 January 2026, BizNews published an article outlining NSI’s argument that the Bill represents a decisive institutional reform with the potential to professionalise and depoliticise the public service. The report focused on the Institute’s assessment that the legislation could mark a further transition in South Africa’s democratic development, following the political transition of 1994 and the constitutional settlement of 1996.

On the same day, the Sunday Tribune reported on what it described as growing pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to sign the Bill into law. The article drew directly on NSI’s position that the legislation is designed to establish a clear separation between political authority and administrative management, limiting the role of elected officials to policy direction and oversight while assigning appointments and operational control to a professional public administration.

Across the coverage, several common themes emerged. Media reporting highlighted the Bill’s aim to end cadre deployment, its role in reducing political interference in the state, and its introduction of stricter conflict-of-interest provisions, including prohibitions on public servants holding political office or doing business with the state. The reporting also noted that the Bill completed its parliamentary process in late 2025 and now awaits presidential assent.

With Parliament having approved the legislation, NSI has argued that presidential signature is now the critical final step. The Institute warns that delay risks entrenching existing governance failures at a moment when institutional reform is urgently needed.

To mobilise public support, NSI has launched the “Sign the Bill, Mr. President!” campaign, which seeks to inform citizens about the Bill’s provisions, encourage public participation in the reform conversation, and press the Presidency to act without further delay.