Chairperson, hon Members of Parliament, Minister, Deputy Minister, the acting director-general and all the guests, 2010 is the year of action, not only for the Department of the Public Service and Administration, but - we do need to acknowledge - also for the oversight functions of an activist Parliament's portfolio of Public Service and Administration.
The ANC envisages a united, democratic, nonracial and nonsexist South Africa. The ANC also envisages a unitary state where the Bill of Rights guarantees fundamental rights and freedom for all on an equal basis, where our people live in an open and tolerant society, where the organs of government are representative, competent and fair in their functioning, and where opportunities are progressively and rapidly expanded to ensure that all may live under conditions of dignity and equality.
When we speak of a united South Africa, we, firstly, have in mind the territorial unity and constitutional integrity of our country. South Africa must be seen, and recognised by the international community, as a single, nonfragmented entity. We, secondly, envisage a single citizenship, nation and a common loyalty. We speak many languages, have different origins and varied beliefs, but we are all South Africans.
We believe that there is a need for a strong and effective central government to handle national tasks, a strong and effective regional government to deal with the tasks of the region, and a strong and effective local government to ensure active local involvement in handling local issues.
The central government has the responsibility to ensure that there is a common framework of principles and practices, applicable to the whole country, and for seeing to it that all areas of the country have equitable access to national resources. However, it is not the function of central government to involve itself in each and every decision that has to be taken at regional or local levels. Such functions should clearly be delegated to these authorities and performed by them.
It is therefore natural that when we speak of an integrated Public Service, we do so for two central reasons: firstly, there is the need to enhance service delivery; and, secondly, there is the need to ensure that we strengthen the unitary state in its ability to perform its constitutional responsibilities.
In 1994, as we began to govern this country, our Reconstruction and Development Programme was very clear that reconstruction and development will be achieved through the leading and enabling role of the state. A developmental state is not simply pronounced, but is felt through the leadership and the enabling role it plays in mobilising society towards the achievement of a common vision.
The 10 strategic outputs of the Department of the Public Service and Administration are meant for us to realise the outcomes-based approach of an efficient and effective development-oriented Public Service to ensure an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship. This is thus further indicating the need for the Public Service, driven by a modernisation strategy, to improve service delivery through a strategic focus on the development of our people. We then need a different approach and we need to look at the existing challenges still facing the Public Service.
Remembering the 52nd National Conference of the ANC in Polokwane, the resolutions regarding a single Public Service requires, firstly, the creation of a single Public Service initiative which enables administration in all spheres of government to be organised and to operate in ways that ensure efficient, quality, collaborative and accountable service delivery to promote social and economic development for the people of the Republic.
Secondly, it requires the enhancement of service delivery through flexible structures that enable and promote operational and frontline integration; innovation by means of electronic government; human capital and talent management; managerial accountability; performance; and a people-oriented service culture.
Thirdly, it also requires further enhancement of service delivery through systematic information and knowledge management and collaboration between institutions within and across spheres of government, as well as between those spheres and private development sectors.
We therefore say to you as members of the portfolio committee and also to the Ministry for the Public Service and Administration, with the ANC continuing to lead and drive the process of the unification of the administration in the three spheres of government, through the initiation of an integrated Public Service, please unfold necessary processes towards the implementation thereof.
We are governing differently to bring about relevant changes to the benefit of the public and citizens of South Africa, but also to start running the Public Service.
Agb Voorsitter, dit help nie ons redeneer oor 'n regering wat foutief is, maar sien nie die behoeftes van die meerderheid raak nie. Agb Dreyer, ons moet dus 'n verskil maak. Die gentegreerde Staatdiens, wat dit ook al was in die verlede, het glad nie die werk vir die oorgrote meederheid, wat ons vandag verteenwoordig, gedoen nie. Ons sal in hierdie department moet implementeer wat wel werk, om 'n verskil te maak in die lewe van alle Suid- Afrikaners. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Hon Chairperson, it's of no use for us to be arguing about a government that is flawed, but not to pay attention to the needs of the majority. Therefore, hon Dreyer, we have to make a difference. The integrated Public Service, whatever it may have been in the past, didn't see to the needs of the vast majority whom we are representing today. In this department we will have to implement that which is indeed effective, to make a difference in the lives of all South Africans.]
That does include the opposition within the portfolio committee.
We acknowledge and continue to complain about poor capacity in the Public Service. Even in this area, the ANC-led government is constantly making an effort to amend and improve on the weaknesses identified in the various systems, entities and areas of training and skills development within the Public Service.
Hon Ramatlakane, the Deputy President, hon Kgalema Motlanthe, in his remarks on the occasion of the launch of the Human Resource Development Council said:
Human Resource Development spans several domains, ie education, the labour market, industry and society. Thus problems that are intrinsic to these domains cannot be reduced to one institution or the policies of one government department or institution.
Rather, they impact on the collective ensemble of institutions in the system and relate to a cross-sectoral basket of government policies, private sector initiatives, higher education and other academic institutions as well as society at large.
Therefore, the evident need for an integrated Public Service is demonstrated by the hon Maluleke regarding issues of the Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority, jointly with all other sector education and training authorities, under the Minister of Higher Education and Training, to ensure that, and I further quote the Deputy President:
Together we should give momentum and support to the implementation of the various Human Resource Development initiatives. The scope and importance of Human Resource Development dictates that its success depends on the contribution and participation of all social partners.
As the council, we will align our efforts with those of like structures such as the Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, National Planning Commission, Science and Technology, Basic Education, Higher Education and Training, etc, and draw on their work to avoid duplication of efforts and mission drift.
In passing this Budget Vote, we therefore must do so, accepting that we have started on the right footing, but we need to do more to illustrate the importance of the Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy, Palama's, mandate to capacitate public servants to do their work and support the academy in realising this goal. As Palama moves forward towards the finalisation of its further transformation, not only must we reposition the organisation to be central in the human resource development programmes, but we must equally resource this academy adequately for improved performance. If we are to develop the kind of public sector cadre that the President has spoken about, we must realise that this task requires an integrated approach involving other stakeholders.
We must commit to ensuring a "shared value coherence of developmentally oriented cadres" - as so well put by one renowned scholar, Prof Linda Weiss - besides other necessary institutional arrangements such as the creation of innovation space, management endorsement and a working environment that is enabling.
Palama must be positioned to be central in the training dimension of the development of this cadre. Such a role for the institution must allow for centralised co-ordination of training in the Public Service. It must allow for a common curriculum framework espousing the ethos, values, and attributes of the type of cadre we envisage, who cares for our people; who is selfless; who is committed to the ideals of this government, which represents the people of South Africa; and, equally important, who is philosophically aligned to the aspirations of government.
This curriculum must allow for all public servants to be trained with minimum training requirements per annum, linked to performance management and career progression. It must introduce a measure of compulsion for targeted training for all public servants in the three spheres of government. Most importantly, for the academy to be able to do all of this, it will have to be appropriately funded by this government. Only then, will we be talking about a people-centred Public Service, and only then, can we talk about delivery of services to our people with care, speed, and working smarter.
With all this in mind, it only makes sense for this portfolio committee, in prioritising its key roles and functions, to necessitate the speedy development and retabling of the Public Administration Management Bill. It also makes sense to encourage, at the highest point of debate, further engagement and hearing about relevant amendments to what has already been started.
In conclusion, our roles and responsibility are not to passively or negatively critique and bring down the ANC government. It is the very government of the day which assisted with solutions for a turnaround strategy for a messed up Public Service accommodating only the white elite under the apartheid government of the past. We, as the ANC-led government, wish to just say that working together, we can do more.
So let's be implementers, monitors and evaluators of our own Public Service policies. This is also the inspiration and simple request of our President, hon J G Zuma. Let us rather look at proper ways towards successful service delivery, to help improve, not only our economy, but the public's state of living in order to improve and correct years of damage and inequality.
In essence, we agree on various ways to improve public service delivery, not only as the committee but also as the Department of the Public Service and Administration wishing to improve and prove ourselves to all our voters on matters of public service delivery. We all, irrespective of political affiliations, believe in and wish to emphasise the best practices of the Batho Pele service delivery principles.
Why then do we not act like a Public Service and deliverance cadres rather than act like crucifiers of a successful young government such as the ANC, and pointing fingers to the personal lives of others? None of us can be the judge over the lives of others. We are not gods. Instead, we are servants to the voters who elected us and we have to help improve their status and living conditions. Yes, in a lifetime, none of us, not even the opposition, is God to perfect the lives lived by the majority of South Africans.
So all I'm saying, my fellow South Africans and my fellow members of the opposition, is that we, in the ANC, take it one step at a time. Even our sons and daughters are about to catch up with us, since many are in tertiary education institutions to ensure proper, effective and efficient service delivery-a very simple matter for correction, legislative review and, thereafter, implementation.
After all, public service and administration simply means constant improvement and implementation of services in order to meet the needs of all South Africans who voted for us, regardless of political affiliation or the requirements of effective, efficient public service delivery. Once again, my fellow comrades, the ANC is just keeping it simple-the requirements of public service delivery.
The ANC supports Budget Vote No 11, Public Service and Administration. I thank you.