acp_rt01_keynotespeech__advrksizani_20180410.pdf-65c1f9100bc4d98f.pdf

This briefing is a keynote speech delivered by Richard Sizani, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, at a Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) roundtable on 10 April 2018. The speech addresses the need to improve accountability and transparency in the South African public sector by depoliticising executive governance, professionalising the civil service, reforming State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), and enhancing public procurement practices.

• The Public Service Commission (PSC) identifies a tension at the political-administrative interface caused by a discrepancy between the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and the Public Service Act (PSA). While the PFMA gives financial management authority and accountability to the accounting officer (Head of Department), the PSA grants Executive Authorities power over organisational structures and human resources. To resolve this, the PSC has recommended amending the PSA to give original HR powers to Heads of Department (HoDs).
• To limit politicisation and improve stability, the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030 proposes creating an Administrative Head of the Public Service to manage the career incidents of HoDs, including their deployment, performance management, and appointment. A PSC study indicates that while recruitment for SMS members below the HoD level should be purely administrative, a 'hybrid approach' involving minimal political head involvement in final approvals is supported for HoD-level appointments.
• Professionalising the public service requires a shift from isolated training to a long-term approach focusing on aptitude and skill development. The NDP recommends making public service and local government 'careers of choice', implementing formal graduate recruitment, requiring adequate experience for senior posts, and developing specialist professional skills. The PSC further suggests compulsory induction and entry examinations as professionalisation mechanisms.
• Governance in State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) is often undermined by corruption and mismanagement. The Presidential Review Commission (PRC) suggests that SOEs should have few, clear objectives and that commercial objectives must be separated from social objectives (Public Service Obligations). To curb patronage, the speech argues for reducing the influence of external 'political pater figures' (Ministers or Deputy Ministers) on SOE operations.
• The South African government has implemented several procurement reforms to increase transparency and reduce corruption, including the establishment of the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) in 2013, the Central Supplier Database (CSD) on 1 September 2015, and the eTender Portal on 1 April 2015. Additionally, the Gauteng Provincial Government has implemented an Open Tender Process (OTP).
• A National Treasury study conducted between 2015 and 2017 revealed significant gaps in the professionalisation of public procurement, including a lack of relevant academic qualifications and training, insufficient capacity in SCM units, and low awareness of professional bodies. The speech defines professionalisation as a social process where an occupation transforms into a profession of high integrity and competence through established qualifications and regulatory bodies.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (n.d.). acp_rt01_keynotespeech__advrksizani_20180410.pdf-65c1f9100bc4d98f.pdf. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ACP_RT01_KeynoteSpeech__AdvRKSizani_20180410.pdf.pdf

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. acp_rt01_keynotespeech__advrksizani_20180410.pdf-65c1f9100bc4d98f.pdf. n.d. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ACP_RT01_KeynoteSpeech__AdvRKSizani_20180410.pdf.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=acp_rt01_keynotespeech__advrksizani_20180410.pdf-65c1f9100bc4d98f.pdf |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ACP_RT01_KeynoteSpeech__AdvRKSizani_20180410.pdf.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{publicaffairsresearchinstitutendacprt01keynotespeechadvrksizani20180410pdf65c1f9100bc4d98fpdf, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{acp\_rt01\_keynotespeech\_\_advrksizani\_20180410.pdf-65c1f9100bc4d98f.pdf}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ACP_RT01_KeynoteSpeech__AdvRKSizani_20180410.pdf.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }