IMPROVING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR BY EXAMINING HOW TO DEPOLITICISE EXECUTIVE GOVERNANCE, INCLUDING PROFESSIONALISATION OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR, STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

This briefing, delivered by Richard Sizani, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, addresses the tension between political and professional roles in South Africa's public administration. It advocates for a clear demarcation of roles to prevent service delivery breakdowns, proposes a structured professionalisation of the civil service and procurement functions, and suggests reforms to curb patronage and mismanagement in state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

• There is a persistent tension at the political-administrative interface in South Africa, where a lack of robust distinction between political and professional appointments leads to permanent restructuring and service delivery failures.
• To limit politicisation, the National Development Plan (NDP) proposes creating an Administrative Head of the Public Service to manage the career incidents of Heads of Department (HoDs), including their appointment and performance management.
• Professionalisation of the public service requires a shift toward a long-term approach focusing on recruiting individuals with relevant aptitude and developing their skills throughout their careers, rather than relying on isolated training.
• State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa suffer from corruption and mismanagement due to poor governance and the influence of external political 'pater' figures who drive patronage for financial benefit.
• South Africa has implemented several procurement reforms to increase transparency and reduce corruption, including the 2013 establishment of the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO), the 2015 Central Supplier Database (CSD), and the 2015 eTender Portal.
• A National Treasury study conducted between 2015 and 2017 revealed a critical lack of skilled procurement officials, characterized by inadequate academic qualifications, insufficient capacity in SCM units, and low awareness of professional bodies.

APA

Sizani, R. (2018). IMPROVING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR BY EXAMINING HOW TO DEPOLITICISE EXECUTIVE GOVERNANCE, INCLUDING PROFESSIONALISATION OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR, STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT. Public Affairs Research Institute. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ACP_RT01_KeynoteSpeech__AdvRKSizani_20180410.pdf.pdf

Chicago

Sizani, Richard. IMPROVING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR BY EXAMINING HOW TO DEPOLITICISE EXECUTIVE GOVERNANCE, INCLUDING PROFESSIONALISATION OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR, STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT. Public Affairs Research Institute, 2018. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ACP_RT01_KeynoteSpeech__AdvRKSizani_20180410.pdf.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sizani |first1=Richard |title=IMPROVING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR BY EXAMINING HOW TO DEPOLITICISE EXECUTIVE GOVERNANCE, INCLUDING PROFESSIONALISATION OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR, STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT |publisher=Public Affairs Research Institute |date=10 April 2018 |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{sizani2018improving, author = {Sizani, Richard}, title = {{IMPROVING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR BY EXAMINING HOW TO DEPOLITICISE EXECUTIVE GOVERNANCE, INCLUDING PROFESSIONALISATION OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR, STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES AND PUBLIC PROCUREMENT}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2018}, month = apr, 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} }