PUBLIC Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo says her department has urged cabinet to consider making the tenure of heads of departments to be 10 years subject to performance.
Dlodlo said the proposal would form part of reforms aimed at stabilising the political-administrative interface across the public sector.
“This we will achieve by appointing a head of the public service, who will play a critical role in managing the career incidents of directors-general. Regarding the tenure of heads of department, we shall consider making the tenure to ten 10 years, subject to performance,” she said.
Dlodlo made the statement at the post-State of the Nation Address (Sona) briefing, where she and Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma unpacked progress made in the past year and also shared some of the key areas their departments would take forward in 2022-23.
In his Sona speech, President Ramaphosa reaffirmed that the foremost priority was to build a capable, ethical and developmental state.
Ramaphosa said the framework for the professionalisation of the public service was being finalised.
He also announced that there would be tighter measures for recruitment of public servants, continuous professional development through the National School of Government and partnerships between state bodies, professional associations, and universities.
Dlodlo said the framework for the professionalisation of the public service was gazetted in December 2020 for public comment.
She said significant public consultations were undertaken with the key stakeholders in 2021, and a Ministerial Task Team of subject experts from across sectors was established to undertake an extensive peer review, which was now complete.
“The revised framework will be presented to Cabinet within the next two months,” she said.
The minister said part of the fundamental reforms to be proposed include a stronger emphasis on merit-based recruitment and appointments.
“The principle of merit shall apply at pre-entry level, as well as to assessments, progression, and promotion. This reform will require a review of public sector recruitment frameworks and practices.”
According to Dlodlo, the reform will introduce instruments to undertake integrity testing before any individual joined the public sector.
“We are serious when we say we want ethical public servants who serve with the highest degree of integrity,” she said.
The minister said that there would be collaboration with the higher education institutions, professional bodies and government departments and industry, to work closely on curricula development matters to support the development of public servants and those who wish to join it.
“We need to have in the employ of the state qualified officials with relevant skills and competencies for the job they have been employed to do, and such should have ethical disposition steeped in the Batho Pele principles. In other words, those who know what they are doing, and perform their duties conscientiously with a strong sense of public service embodying the basic values and principles of public administration as enshrined in the Constitution.”
Dlodlo said the National School of Government (NSG) continued to offer education, training and development programmes for all spheres of government and organs of state as part of its expanded mandate, adding the school would also be launching its suite of premium programmes for executive education opportunities in the public sector.
“The executive education will target senior managers, executives and public representatives in all organs of state. It will seek to improve the quality of public sector leadership and management by combining the science of experiential learning and enabling leaders to develop new knowledge, skills and attitude,” she said.
Political Bureau