South AfricaZA

Article 197 of the Constitution of South Africa

Article
197
Chapter
CHAPTER 10 — PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Index row title
(1) Within public administration there is a public service for the Republic, which must
Source document
The South Africa Constitution
Provision ID
31be055f-0d24-44d4-bcff-0ebf9f3fb088

116 words

Verbatim text

function, and be structured, in terms of national legislation, and which must loyally execute the lawful policies of the government of the day. (2) The terms and conditions of employment in the public service must be regulated by national legislation. Employees are entitled to a fair pension as regulated by national legislation. (3) No employee of the public service may be favoured or prejudiced only because that person supports a particular political party or cause. (4) Provincial governments are responsible for the recruitment, appointment, promotion, transfer and dismissal of members of the public service in their administrations within a framework of uniform norms and standards applying to the public service. Chapter 10: Public Administration Governing principles

What this means

  • The index files this text under article 197 of the Constitution of South Africa.
  • The index files it under the chapter heading “CHAPTER 10 — PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION”.
  • The passage runs to about 116 words.
  • Read plainly, it mentions pay and pensions — it sets pay, salary, allowance or pension terms (the words used: “pension”).

The row’s stored title is a body fragment, not a heading (“(1) Within public administration there is a public service for the Republic, which must”), so it is not used as the provision’s title here.

The index gives this passage an article number but stores a body fragment where a heading would be, so the number could not be cross-checked against the text. Check it against the official Constitution before relying on it in a citation.

This is a mechanical reading aid generated from the text above by matching words in it. It is not legal advice, not a lawyer’s interpretation, and not a substitute for the provision itself.

How to cite this

Constitution of South Africa, article 197, Portable Lawyer, https://www.portablelawyer.app/provision/31be055f-0d24-44d4-bcff-0ebf9f3fb088 (accessed 25 October 2026).

Canonical URL: https://www.portablelawyer.app/provision/31be055f-0d24-44d4-bcff-0ebf9f3fb088

Accessed 25 October 2026.

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