Page 26 - Service Delivery Review

National Development Plan and State Capacity Conference

Paradox of Rich Policies and Poor Service
Ethical Outcomes

Department of Public Service and Administration, Knowledge Management and
Innovation directorate - Dudley Moloi

The Chairperson of the Public Service Commission The story begins with the adoption of a Constitution
(PSC), Professor Somadoda Fikeni, often adopts a that is the envy of the world. It embedded the Con-
highly personalised and anecdotal style in his public stitutional Values and Principles for the unified Public
engagements. His input at the National Development Service, which had been forged from the disparate
Plan (NDP) and State Capacity Conference, which bureaucracies that predated 1994. That indicator
was held in mid-November 2022, was not unusual in of a healthy democracy, the Independent Electoral
this regard. The session began with Professor Fike-
ni’s powerful invocation of Franz Fanon, a black psy- Commission (IEC), was gaining the world’s acclaim
chiatrist and anti-colonialist. Fanon wrote the semi- and respect as a “model for independent and com-
nal book “The Wretched of the Earth,” stating: “Each petent election management bodies in the world”. At
generation must discover its mission, fulfil it or betray the same time, the security and sophistication of the
it, in relative opacity.” country’s identity documents and passports reflected
a tech-savvy public service that was keeping up with
A good story to tell the times. At the same time, the high ranking of South
Titled “Reflections on state capacity and government Africa’s financial system in the world signified the ro-
performance through the first ten years of the NDP: bustness of the country’s private sector.
Paradox and dilemma of good policies and poor ap-
plication: The case of ethics, values and principles
and new pathways,” the presentation seemed to be Inspired by the notable rise of the so-called “Asian
a mouthful. But much to the audience’s relief, it was Tigers”, South Africa officially proclaimed the path for
delivered in a story-telling format, with a sprinkle of a “developmental state”, drawing lessons from coun-
real-life anecdotes. South Africa’s post-apartheid tries such as South Korea that had pulled themselves
story, as Professor Fikeni told it, is one of triumph out of underdevelopment to be among the best-per-
and promise that marked it as a country on a winning forming economies in the world. The eventual adop-
path. tion of the NDP in 2012 paved the way for long-term

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