DR USHA ROOPNARAIN MP
 

Parliament, 05 June 2007  

Chairperson,

The Public service is obliged under its constitutional imperative to reverse the skewed racial, social and economic patterns inherited from apartheid.
Also, this department is linked to service delivery for the well being of millions of people. Therefore, this places a huge obligation on the public service to develop the capacity and skills to address this challenge. Consequently, the skills shortage, the unfilled vacancies, and other challenges still plague this department. On a more positive side, I would like to applaud the efforts of the Minister especially in relation to the Global Forum V - her work has been exemplary.

Some of the problems include:
Senior managers still fail to file their financial disclosures; this is reflective of poor executive and administrative leadership. It is clearly unacceptable, transparency, is a precondition for accountability and good governance. Action has to be taken against these transgressors.

Perceptions still prevail that corruption is rife in the public service- the problem is that government departments do not always deal with the reported cases effectively. Also, the amount of unauthorized expenditure has risen threefold; and departments continue to under spend. Also, most departments don't have public participation policies- too many citizens complain of substandard service. Obviously we cannot hold to blame the public servants who falter while trying to do the right thing, but most importantly, we cannot accept substandard delivery services by obsequious, indolent and blatantly rude public servants. This cannot in anyone's language bear good fruits.

Often these complaints go unheard; we need to ensure that the spirit of ubuntu permeates every dept. Consumers expect high quality, seamless, accessible and responsive service delivery that is tailored to individual needs, and where outcomes are transparent. They also expect a greater say in the development of policies and programmes.

Another area is the skills shortage, this is a critical area, and could derail service delivery totally. The skills shortage is exacerbated by the competition for skills in the private sector and abroad. It is clear that departments do no plan properly for skills development and retention. At this juncture, I just want to also add that I am concerned about the gender targets and disability. Last year Minister summed it up as follows: Given the importance of the Public Service as role model of transformation it is critical for us to focus on where women are located in the public service. The Federation of South African Women has long held the position that the failure of women to progress puts a brake on society. This position is widely endorsed by reputable development theory. The situation will therefore be equally true if we deny equity to women - particularly relating to leadership positions - in the South African public service.

The specter of HIV/AIDS is serious, particularly in the education sector, where one fifth of the staff is infected. Any vision of a prosperous country must take into account where the population is likely to be in the future. There is no short-cut to skills development. Capable skills are built over a period of time, here I just want to touch on SAMDI, whose mandate is "building the capacity of the state," I think that SAMDI needs to take lead in skills acquisition. Also, has a portfolio committee, we need to assess the quantity and quality of training provided, we need to monitor the cost effectiveness of the training provided. Also, there needs to proper partnerships between government and other training providers. Government needs to invest in mentoring schemes and multi-skilling of graduates. In addition to ensuring that these values and objectives become an integral part of performance measurement systems, it is important that supportive leadership is provided to drive the process. Leaders as enablers, facilitators, and mentors play a critical role in driving the organisation to achieve its goals, through people management, and proper resource mobilisation and deployment.

The challenges facing some SETAs, which the department of labour is currently addressing has significantly aggravated the problem.

The quality, relevance and impact of training have to be monitored. The demand of skills and growing number of skilled people required, points to the fact that the country's skills pool is shrinking, there is also a quality deficit. While the labour market differs from other markets, a recent newspaper, quoted an article where skills are likened to tomatoes. As with tomatoes, so with the skilled labour, the greater the shortage, the higher the price!

SITA, in terms of ICT SITA,

The Public Service Commission: this commission has made great strides, the work is excellent, and their research and reporting is of an exceptional quality. I think this body needs to have greater teeth, to ensure that recommendations are carried through.

Booker T Washington, the African-American author and educator once said and I quote: "Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way."

In a similar vein Ancient Greek Philosopher Aristotle wrote: "Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."