SECTION A $[40$ MARKS$]$

Read the case study below and answer ALL questions in this section.

The shortcomings of the public service need to be addressed

There are few occupations more important for a person than the call to public service. It is an opportunity to improve

people$$s lives and change society for the better. It carries pronounced responsibility and often demands much of

individuals and their families.

A streamlined, efficient and well$-$integrated civil service is the symbol of a capable state. Likewise, an unproductive,

inefficient and cumbersome civil service can frustrate the implementation of even the best policies.

Public servants are the first interface between government and citizens. Their encounters, whether positive or negative,

are crucial in how the state is perceived by the wider population. The key priority is to build a capable state. If we are to

build a more capable state we have to seriously and urgently address the shortcomings in the organisation and the

capacity of the public service.

The view that the public service is bloated is misplaced. Public servants include officials and administrators, but they also

include doctors, nurses, police men and women and teachers who play an invaluable role in keeping the wheels of our

country turning. The real issue is whether $$ given its size, cost and needs of our country $$ the public service is

performing as it should.

The experience of the society is that in several areas, the state is falling short of expectations. There are some

fundamental problems that government are seriously trying to change. One of the areas is known as the $$politicaladministrative$$ interface, where lines of accountability at the most senior levels of the state have become blurred.

Political office bearers such as Ministers, MECs and Mayors often bend towards getting involved in administrative matters

that should be the responsibility of professional public servants. While the public service is required to implement the

electoral mandate of the governing party and to account to the Executive, they need to be able to do this work without

undue political interference. Public service managers must be given the space, the means and the resources to manage.

Senior appointments are sometimes made on political considerations rather than expertise. This severely limits the

capacity and effective functioning of the state. As much as the ranks of our civil service comprise individuals committed

to driving government$$s programme of action, it has also over the years been associated with patronage. This is

manifested through the appointment of people into senior positions based on considerations other than their capability to

execute the tasks of the office they are appointed to$.$ The building of a capable, ethical and developmental state is among

our foremost priorities. We want the public service to be oriented towards efficiency, performance and developmental

outcomes.

The civil service should attract high$-$calibre and qualified candidates. As one of the ways of achieving this, the National

Development Plan $($NDP$)$ proposes a formal graduate recruitment scheme for the public service. Our people want the

best and the brightest in society to serve them. The civil service must be seen as a career destination of choice by those

who want to make a difference in the life of their country, and not merely as a comfortable $9-$to$-5$ desk job or a place to

earn a salary with minimal effort.

Should some still harbour this view they should take advantage of opportunities to exit the public service to make way for

those who are up to the task. Training and up skilling is critical to professionalising the civil service.

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 certificate programme for anyone who wants to be appointed into senior

management.

Many of the school$$s programmes $$ from advanced project management to financial management and budgeting to

change leadership $$ are offered online. The school is also engaged in collaboration with international training institutes to

offer courses on wider governance issues. Being a public servant is an honour and a privilege. It demands dedication,

selflessness, professionalism, commitment and the utmost faithfulness to the principles of Batho Pele, of putting the

people first.

Public servants are entrusted with managing state resources for the benefit of the public and in guarding against them

being misused and abused. They are representatives of a government derived of the people and for the people, and are

guardians of our Constitution.

At a time when we have been confronted with a series of scandals that point to clear complicity by certain public servants

in acts of corruption, this Public Service Month should be an opportunity for the men and women tasked with this