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In his weekly letter to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa He emphasized the importance of an efficient civil service, without which, the implementation of policies is compromised.
Ramaphosa said that deficiencies and the capacity of the public service must be addressed to ensure accountability, the ability to work without police interference and curb the employment of cadres.
He said views that public service is inflated is “misplaced” but falls short of expectations.
Read his full letter below:
Dear fellow South African,
There are few callings more important to a person than the call to public service.
It is an opportunity to improve people’s lives and improve society. It carries great responsibility and often demands a lot from individuals and their families.
Tomorrow is the start of Public Service Month, held in September each year to promote a culture of pride and ethics in public service and improvement in all facets of service delivery.
An optimized, efficient and well-integrated civil service is the hallmark of a capable state. Likewise, an unproductive, inefficient and cumbersome public administration can frustrate the implementation of the best policies.
Public servants are the first interface between the government and citizens. Their encounters, whether positive or negative, are crucial in how the general population perceives the state.
Our key priority is to build a capable state. If we want to build a more capable state, we have to seriously and urgently address the shortcomings in the organization and capacity of the public service.
The view that the public service is inflated is misplaced. Public servants include civil servants and administrators, but also doctors, nurses, police officers and teachers who play an invaluable role in maintaining the wheels of our country.
The real question is whether, given the size, cost and needs of our country, the public service is working as it should. The experience of our people is that in several areas, the state is not meeting expectations.
There are some fundamental problems that we are working to fix.
One of the areas we are paying attention to is known as the ‘political-administrative’ interface, where lines of responsibility at the highest levels of the state have become blurred. Political office holders such as ministers, MECs, and mayors often veer into getting involved in administrative matters that should be the responsibility of professional civil servants.
While the public service is required to implement the ruling party’s electoral mandate and be accountable to the Executive, it must be able to carry out this work without undue political interference.
Public service managers must have the space, means and resources to manage them.
High-level appointments are sometimes made out of political considerations rather than experience. This severely limits the capacity and effective functioning of the state.
While the ranks of our civil service comprise individuals committed to advancing the government’s program of action, it has also been associated over the years with sponsorship. This is manifested through the appointment of people to high-level positions based on considerations other than their ability to perform the tasks of the position for which they are appointed.
Building a capable, ethical and developmental state is one of our top priorities. We want public service to be geared towards efficiency, performance and development results.
The civil service must attract qualified and high-caliber candidates. As one of the ways to achieve this, the National Development Plan (PND) proposes a formal scheme for hiring graduates for public service. Our people want the best and the brightest in society to serve them.
The civil service should be viewed as a career destination of choice for those who want to make a difference in the life of their country, and not simply as a comfortable 9 to 5 office job or a place to earn a salary with minimal effort. .
If some still hold this view, they should seize opportunities to exit public service to make way for those up to the task.
Training and improving skills are essential for the professionalization of the public function.
The National School of Government is playing an important role in building a culture of lifelong learning for those already in the ranks. As an example, the school offers a certification program for anyone who wants to be appointed to the top management. Many of the school’s programs, from advanced project management to financial management to budgeting to change leadership, are offered online.
The school also collaborates with international training institutes to offer courses on broader governance issues.
Being a public servant is an honor and a privilege. It requires dedication, self-denial, professionalism, commitment and the utmost fidelity to the principles of Batho Pele, of putting people first.
Public servants are entrusted with the management of state resources for the benefit of the public and the protection against their misuse and abuse. They are representatives of a government derived from the people and for the people, and they are guardians of our Constitution.
At a time when we have faced a series of scandals that point to a clear complicity of certain public servants in acts of corruption, this Public Service Month should be an opportunity for the men and women in charge of this important responsibility to distinguish themselves – rededicate yourself to your vocation and fully understand what it really means to be a servant of the people.
As the NDP reminds us, a capable developmental state cannot be created by fiat: “It has to be built, brick by brick, institution by institution, and sustained and rejuvenated over time.”
Our ability to consistently acquire a high level of capability as envisioned by the NDP is a defining characteristic of what a capable developmental state should have in order to become an economically prosperous, socially inclusive, and well-governed state capable of meeting the needs of our country. persons.
With the best wishes,
Cyril Ramaphosa
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