Page 15 - Service Delivery Review

Towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector Framework

Professionalisation is the Centre of

the Wheel of State Capability

Professor Mashupye Maserumule was the
Chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Panel on the
National Implementation Framework towards the
Professionalisation of the Public Service. He also
serves as a commissioner at the National Planning
Commission, which oversees the implementation of
the National Development Plan (NDP). Below is a
summary of his remarks at the recent Editor’s Breakfast
Engagement, which the Government Information
and Communication System (GCIS) had organised
to brief the media on the National Implementation
Framework towards the Professionalisation of the
Public Sector.

Milestone in the evolution of the of South Africa just before 1994, we put together a
post-apartheid state set of principles that were to shape our constitutional
democracy. The significance of a professional
The National Implementation Framework on public service was among these. This point was
the Professionalisation of the Public Sector is a subsequently highlighted by South Africa’s first
significant development in the evolution of the post- democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela,
apartheid state. Leading up to the development of the when he asked the following question to the then
Framework, we were constantly reminded of how the head of the Presidential Review Commission (PRC) of
Framework underscored the importance of developing the Public Service, Dr. Vincent Mapai, in 1996: “What
the capacity of the state. This is because we cannot type of public service do we need to drive South
expect to develop as a country without paying close Africa’s democracy?”
attention to the development of the state’s capacity.
This pre-condition is also emphasised by the National The answer to President Mandela’s question
Development Plan (NDP). eventually came out in the form of the PRC report,
simply that a professional public service is critical in
In his remarks, the Chairperson of the Public Service driving South Africa’s democracy. Years later, the NDP
Commission (PSC), Professor Somadoda Fikeni, had similarly emphasised the centrality of a professional
already argued that Chapter 13 of the NDP should public service in driving the development agenda of
have been Chapter 1 of that document. This is for the country. Fortunately, the sixth administration had
the simple reason that Chapter 13 provides the committed itself to the necessity of professionalising
foundation for all that the country has set out to the Public Service in tangible terms, hence the
achieve, from fighting poverty to many other aspects Framework.
that are key to the development of a nation.
Now is the time for action
Humanity’s most precious possession
There is no doubt that South Africa has come up
An English economist once said that the state with excellent ideas and policies since the advent
is one of humanity’s most valuable possessions of democracy in 1994, but what has been lacking
and that no care can be too great to enable it to throughout is the sense of urgency to follow up on
accomplish its function in the greatest way. This our ideas and policies. As the panel that worked
statement echoes the importance of the state’s on the Framework, we are happy that Cabinet has
capabilities. Consequently, our approach towards finally approved it. Moreover, the NPC pressed on
the development of the Framework was essentially the necessity for action to ensure that the Framework
informed by this thinking. It was, in many ways, an is implemented now that it has been approved by
attempt to respond to Chapter 13 of the NDP. Cabinet. This time around, however, there seems to
be a lot happening, particularly around the question
What type of public service do we need to drive of enhancing the state’s capacity. Moreover, the
South Africa’s democracy? DPSA has already started putting in place some of
the instruments for implementing the Framework.
If we recall, when we were talking about the future

SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 15 • No. 2 of 2022/2023 15