Date :12 July 2012
Time :12:30 – 14:00
In terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996, the public service is required to embody certain constitutionally-enshrined democratic principles and values and be able to perform effectively and efficiently undoubtedly. In this regard, the public service has to: firstly, be professional, efficient in the use of resources, development-oriented, impartial in the provision of services, responsive to the needs of the people, accountable, transparent and representative of the South African population; secondly, perform effectively and efficiently in meeting all the tasks of government; and, thirdly, have the institutional capacity and organizational ethos to perform the tasks of government effectively. In each of these areas there are a number of challenges, largely determined by the macro-socio environment and the state of the public service and municipalities. These two elements are central in determining the capacity of the state to deliver services to the citizenry.
The trio utilises both secondary and primary sources, such as the results of social attitudes and longitudinal surveys to demonstrate that the public service is generally characterised by poor governance, lack of accountability and transparency, incompetent and under-qualified officials, widespread corruption, and massive failures in planning, budgeting and implementation, and that most citizens are dissatisfied with the state of the public service including municipalities.
Presented by Professor Modimowabarwa Kanyane, Dr Gregory Houston, & Mr Kombi Sausi, Democracy, Government and Service Delivery, HSRC
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