Page 14 - Service Delivery Review

National Development Plan and State Capacity Conference

Bread-and-Butter Issues and Democratic Consolidation

The Acting Deputy Director-General at the Department of Public Service and Administration, Dumisani Hlophe, set
the scene for the National Development Plan and State Capacity conference held towards the end of 2022.

In the new South Africa, “democratic consolidation” the National Assembly and provincial legislatures,
was as novel as the country itself. As researchers, the which are responsible for exercising oversight so that
idea of democratic consolidation circulating in polit- the objectives set by these governmental institutions
ical circles at the time caught our interest right after are carried out. Then there are the Chapter 9 institu-
1994. We were particularly interested in how the new- tions, like the Office of the Public Protector, whose
ly established government would tackle democracy’s responsibility it is to ensure that all governance and
bread-and-butter issues, such as economic inequal- delivery processes are carried out effectively. This is
ity, access to education and healthcare, and other what we mean when we talk about democratic con-
social justice issues. We wanted to see how these solidation.
issues would be addressed within the framework of a
consolidated democracy. Furthermore, the concept of democratic consolida-
tion has multiple meanings. The implications for the
Government institutions must work well public sector are particularly significant. It means
When we talk about “democratic consolidation”, we that the Public Service must be capable of serving
mean that all the instruments of democracy and gov- the public efficiently and effectively, focusing on pro-
ernment institutions must work well. More important viding quality services. This implies that the Public
than just talking about human rights is ensuring that Service must be able to carry out policies and pro-
the institutions that support democratic processes grammes transparently, accountably and effective-
and outcomes do their jobs - that is how democra- ly. For example, if you work for the Department of
cies emerge and thrive. Home Affairs, you must ensure that birth and death
certificates are issued on time and most efficiently
Quite a few of these democratic-supporting institu- and effectively as possible. Likewise, it is the job of
tions have been developed since then. They consist those public servants who work for the Department of
of the judiciary, which administers the law, as well as Transport to ensure that the country has good roads

14 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 15. No. 3 of 2023