Controversial draft legislation aimed at forging a single public service for South Africa was tabled at Parliament on Tuesday.

While critics of the Public Administration Management Bill say it is an attempt to centralise administration and concentrate power at national government level, a memorandum attached to the measure maintains its approach is a "decentralised" one.

It says coordinated public service delivery is lacking, with a "myriad of national, regional, provincial and municipal offices, each with a separate identity, each operating in its own silo".

Integration of government services, systems and personnel would assist in addressing this challenge to service delivery.

The Democratic Alliance last week threatened to take the government to the Constitutional Court if the bill - which will now come before parliamentary committees for discussion - was passed by Parliament.

Among the measure's controversial aspects are provisions aimed at preventing and eradicating "unjustifiable disparities" in conditions of employment in the public administration.

In this regard, the memorandum says, the bill "provides for proposals to be mandated by the minister in respect of the national and provincial spheres, and to authorise employer proposals in the
municipal sphere".

In terms of municipalities, the minister "may only refuse to authorise proposals if they retain or introduce unjustifiable disparities".

The DA says the measure, if passed, would allow government to "enforce its own policies at provincial or local level".

Promulgation of the bill will see the repeal of the Public Services Act, and certain provisions of the Municipal Structures Act and Municipal Systems Act dealing with staffing.

On criticism the measure is aimed at centralising power at national level, the memorandum says a "decentralised approach... remains the approach of the bill".

The aim was to harmonise systems, structures and conditions of service in public administration "in order to reduce unjustifiable disparities, duplication and lack of inter-operability between institutions, and to promote integration and coordination for improved service delivery".