Skilled, knowledgeable, resourceful public servants


Acting Minister of Public Service and Administration Thulas Nxesi feels that the public service has the intrinsic ability to fulfill its constitutional commitments to people.

Nxesi said, “We have seen the extraordinary gains achieved in service delivery since democratization in 1994, and much more so after the introduction of the Batho Pele program in 1997.”

At the beginning of Public Service Month at Freedom Park in Pretoria on Thursday, Nxesi said that the public service employs qualified, experienced, and resourceful employees who work everyday at the frontlines of service delivery despite severe restrictions.

He said that the National Planning Commission’s 2013 Diagnostic Review noted unequal capacity within and across government departments as an issue and possible danger to the public service’s ability to provide excellent services throughout the nation.

“As a responsive administration, we have been tackling this particular concern via a number of focused capacity-building interventions implemented by the DPSA in conjunction with the National School of Government, such as the District Development Model.

Nxesi said, “Despite these interventions, I think that our public service has the natural potential to deliver on its constitutional commitments to people.”

Nxesi said that the administration is able to make even more progress in enhancing service delivery and establishing a citizen-centric public service.

“Every vital element is present. We periodically evaluate the supporting laws, policies, and regulations. We have qualified, knowledgeable, and resourceful employees who labor everyday at the front lines of service delivery under severe restrictions. As a necessary response to this widespread corruption, the government has enacted the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

“We recognize that this plan can only be successful if we collaborate with our corporate sector and civil society compatriots who share our commitment to a South Africa characterized by high standards of honesty and adherence to the rule of law.

“We also recognize that you, our public officials, are our first line of defense against corruption,” Nxesi said, adding, “we must protect our freedom against the plague of corruption that is destroying our democratic ideals and our aspiration to be a competent, ethical, and developing state.”

Nxesi said that the government cannot professionalize the public sector if unqualified persons are being appointed via political patronage.

“These activities, wherever they exist, are incompatible with the fundamental norms that guide public administration, and they must be stopped,” he said.

Dr. Chana Pilane-Majake, Deputy Minister, highlighted that Public Service Month is celebrated yearly to remind the public of the essential role of public workers and to mobilize political will and resources to solve national, provincial, and local government concerns.

“The PSM is a national program designed to promote good governance, whereas the AU Africa Public Service Day is a continental initiative” (APSD).

“PSM focuses on the public service apparatus, how it fulfills its constitutional obligation to provide services to the population, and how it recognizes dedicated public officials who respect the ideals and principles of public service and administration,” she said.

This year, the topic for Public Service Month is Batho Pele Revitalisation – Walking The Talk.

Public Service Month serves as a reminder of what it means to serve communities, as well as an opportunity to examine the influence of government, particularly on service delivery challenges.

This year, the government celebrates the 25th anniversaries of the Batho Pele White Paper, a framework for the transformation of public service delivery in South Africa, and the Constitution, which was signed into law by former President Nelson Mandela 25 years ago. – SAnews.gov.za


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