Agb Voorsitter en agb lede, laat ek uit die staanspoor s dat wanneer ek vandag oor die tekortkominge en mislukkings van die Staatsdiens praat, dit nie op alle Ministers, direkteurs-generaal, adjunkte, hoofde van departemente en staatsamptenare van toepassing is nie.
Baie van die bogenoemde mense lewer goeie werk, maar is vasgevang in 'n verouderde stelsel, binne 'n organisasie wat maar net nie die mas wil opkom nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] As die skoen u nie pas nie, moet dit nie aantrek nie, en moenie aanstoot neem nie, want ek praat nie van u nie.
Ons moet egter erken dat diegene wat nie die mas opkom nie, of wat nie die wil het om hul pligte pligsgetrou uit te voer nie, se getalle reeds 'n kritieke massa bereik en oorskry het en besig is om die administrasie van Suid-Afrika te vernietig. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr N D DU TOIT: Hon Chairperson and hon members, let me say from the outset that when I speak today about the shortcomings and failures of the Public Service, this does not apply to all Ministers, directors-general, deputies, heads of department and public servants.
Many of the above-mentioned officials perform sterling work, but they are trapped within an obsolete system, an organisation that appears to be incapable of making the grade. [Interjections.] If the shoe does not fit, you should not wear it, nor should you be offended, because I am not referring to you.
However, we have to admit that the number of those who fail to make the grade, or who lack the will to perform their duties conscientiously, has already reached or even exceeded critical mass and is now destroying the administration of South Africa.]
In all kinds of organisations good governance starts with the board of directors. The board's role and legal obligation is to oversee the management and administration of the organisation and to ensure that the organisation fulfils its mission. In our case, Parliament and Cabinet would be that board of directors.
The Public Service Commission's report that was submitted to the portfolio committee is spot-on. Their recommendations should be implemented as a matter of urgency. I shall not go into details, as it is there for everybody to read. The question remains whether it can be done. The National Planning Commission has also done sterling work, but what is next?
My retoriese vraag is of dit nie tyd is dat 'n implementeringskommissie nou die werk moet voortsit nie. Dit lyk nie asof die uitvoerende gesag dit gaan regkry om die nodige aanbevelings te implementeer nie. Waar het alles verkeerd geloop?
Die eerste rede is dissipline. Volgens die Staatsdienskommissie, oftewel die PSC, se verslag, faal die Staatsdiens jammerlik om dissipline toe te pas. Die beste voorbeeld hiervan is dat, uit 'n groep van 22 departemente, die Sekuriteitsgroepering, the Security cluster - waar 'n ho mate van dissipline en kundigheid van ondersoeke onder personeel intrinsiek van aard behoort te wees - verantwoordelik is vir 99,2% van die gevalle waar dissiplinre sake nie opgevolg, ondersoek en afgehandel word nie.
'n Mens kan ook vra hoe daar dissipline binne 'n organisasie kan heers as die hoof 'n swak voorbeeld stel. Hoe kan 'n organisasie dissipline handhaaf as die kader of "comrade" nie gedissiplineer kan of mag word nie? [Tussenwerpsels.]
Dit is egter presies wat gebeur het, en ons almal, die publiek inkluis, weet dit. Daar is daagliks in die pers genoeg voorbeelde daarvan. [Tussenwerpsels.] Onthou, as die skoen u nie pas nie, moet dit nie aantrek nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] Kaders tree glad nie teen mede-kaders op nie, of tree te sag op.
Die tweede rede is respek. Dit geld vir selfrespek, sowel as respek vir jou hoof, jou medewerkers, die organisasie, jou leiers en ten slotte die publiek. Waar is di respek heen? 'n Mens sou dink dat, aangesien almal "comrades" in die Staatsdiens is, "comrades" darem ten minste mekaar sal respekteer. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Indien 'n amptenaar nie omgee ... [Tussenwerpsels.] ... wat ander van sy of haar dade of wandade dink nie ... [Tussenwerpsels.] ... hoeveel selfrespek het so 'n persoon? [Tussenwerpsels.] Hierdie gebrek aan respek vir kollegas en hoofde is 'n kanker wat die hele staatsorganisasie deurtrek het.
Die derde rede is die onheilige tweeling van 'n gebrek aan vaardighede en kapasiteit. Vir jare nou al word dit as 'n verskoning voorgehou, en dit bly net een groot uitdaging. Ek weet nie hoeveel keer ek nog die woorde moet hoor ... (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.) [My rhetorical question is whether the time has not come for an implementation commission to take over and continue the work. It does not appear that the executive can succeed in implementing the necessary recommendations. Where did it all go wrong?
The first reason is discipline. According to the report by the Public Service Commission, or PSC, the Public Service fails dismally to enforce discipline. The most striking example of this is that, out of a group of 22 departments, the Security cluster - where a high level of discipline and investigative expertise ought to be intrinsic to staff - is responsible for 99,2 % of the cases in which disciplinary matters are either not followed up, or not investigated, or not concluded.
One could also ask how discipline is to prevail in an organisation when the head of that organisation is setting a bad example. How can an organisation maintain discipline if the cadre or comrade cannot or may not be disciplined? [Interjections.]
But that is precisely what has happened, and all of us, including the public, know it. Day by day there are enough examples of this in the press. [Interjections.] Remember, if the shoe does not fit, you don't have to wear it. [Interjections.] Cadres do not take steps against fellow-cadres, or they tread too lightly.
The second reason is respect. This goes for self-respect, as well as respect for one's superior, one's fellow-employees, the organisation, one's leaders, and lastly for the public. What has become of that respect? One would have thought that, since all public servants are comrades, comrades would at least respect one another. [Interjections.]
If an official does not care ... [Interjections.] ... what others may think of his or her deeds or misdeeds ... [Interjections.] ... how much self- respect does this official have? [Interjections.] This lack of respect for colleagues and superiors is a cancer that pervades the whole state organisation.
The third reason is the unholy twin of a lack of skills and a lack of capacity. For years this has been presented as an excuse, and it remains one great challenge. I don't know how many more times I have to listen to the words ...]
... lack of capacity, it's a challenge, a shortage of skills and skills development ...
... voordat iets daaraan gedoen gaan word nie. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Die beste voorbeeld hiervan is sekerlik, na wat berig word, die 27 000 gewapende polisiebeamptes wat nie bevoeg is om hul vuurwapens te hanteer nie, wat nog van die wetlike gevolge daaraan verbonde. [Tussenwerpsels.] 27 000 mense is, in militre terme, drie divisies. [Tussenwerpsels.] Dit is 'n hele korps. [Tussenwerpsels.] Watter generaal wat regdenkend is, sal oorlog voer met drie divisies wat nie bevoeg is om hul vuurwapens te hanteer nie? [Tussenwerpsels.]
Erger nog is die feit dat die 27 000 onbevoegde polisiebeamptes nie in die algemene rigting van die vyand gaan skiet nie. Hulle moet hul wapens in die openbaar, tussen die onskuldige publiek kan gebruik. [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[... before anything will be done about it. [Interjections.]
The most striking example of this must be the 27 000 armed policemen who are reportedly unfit to handle their firearms, let alone the judicial implications of this situation. [Interjections.] In military terms, 27 000 persons amount to three divisions. [Interjections.] That is a whole corps. [Interjections.] What general of sound mind would go to war with three divisions that are not fit to handle their firearms? [Interjections.]
Even worse is the fact that these 27 000 unfit police officers will not be shooting in the general direction of the enemy. They need to be able to use their firearms in public, amidst the innocent public. [Interjections.]