Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Ms Noxolo Kiviet, and the Social Partners to the Human Resources Development Council (HRDC) signed a Social Compact that will significantly boost the National Implementation Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector.

The Social Compact was signed by Minister Kiviet, representing the Government, and the social partner leaders of organised labour, civil society and organised business at a ceremony presided over by the Deputy President, Mr Paul Mashatile, on 18 August 2023 at the Sol Plaatjie University in Kimberly, in the Northern Cape Province.

According to the signatories, the Social Compact not only establishes a clear roadmap for improving the skills of government employees but is also considered critical to the professionalisation agenda of the Public Sector, as it should ensure that services provided to the public adhere to the Batho Pele Principles.

�By working together, the Government and social partners can effectively address any gaps in training and ensure that professionals in various sectors are equipped with the necessary knowledge and expertise�, said Minister Kiviet.

Social compacts are regarded as essential mechanisms for dialogue and compacting at national and sectoral levels, involving key constituencies such as business, labour, communities, and Government to collaboratively resolve the nation�s challenges. Likewise, the Social Compact that Minister Kiviet entered into with the HRDC social partners is critical to building a Capable, Developmental and Ethical State.�In particular, the parties to the Social Compact agreed to the following:

  • Advocate for the provision of relevant skills and development programmes to public servants to ensure that a capable, ethical and developmental state is realised;
  • Support the relevant and value-adding skills development initiative targeted at public servants;
  • Optimise the use of modern technological innovations to widen access to learning opportunities in a cost-effective and equitable manner, as well as to fully exploit available HRD management planning and reporting tools presented by the 4IR dispensation; and
  • Any development interventions that will assist in fast-tracking service delivery.