Service charter will change lives

Phumla Williams“Things have to change, and it is time for that change.” These words could be attributed to any number of South Africans from all walks of life. But six weeks ago these words were spoken by Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister for Public Service and Administration, just after government and trade unions had reached a three-year, public-sector wage settlement.

Sisulu placed service before cash as she outlined what the government expected from the public service whose remuneration accounts for the lion’s share of public expenditure.

The Minister said: “We all agreed (here) that citizens must say no to bad service. To empower the public and to receive ongoing feedback we are going back to the basics. We will embark on a nationwide listening programme. “We are coming to listen to you on how we can improve. We will then conclude a service charter with labour, so that public servants know your expectations and they work to exceed them. Things have to change. It is time for that change.”

As part of the government’s drive to improve services, the Department of Public Service and Administration has dedicated September as public service month.

Public service month

This themed month will be an annual national campaign involving departments who are expected to put in place campaigns to take service delivery to a higher level.

Many have questioned the dedication of a minority of the country’s 1.3 million public servants whose commitment and work ethos fall well short of what the Constitution and citizens demand. The government acknowledges that it should strive to work even harder.

Public servants are the frontline of service delivery and are therefore expected to embody the Batho Pele (People First) principles. These principles form the basis of public consultation, service standards, access, courtesy, information, openness and transparency, redress and value for money. Since the dawn of democracy in South Africa in 1994, the government has mobilised the public service to transform the country.

Addressing the South African Local Government Association (Salga) in Midrand several days ago, President Jacob Zuma said no country could have delivered as much as South Africa had done in just 18 years.

The South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) agrees with President Zuma on the delivery successes we have recorded.

SAIRR deputy chief executive officer Frans Cronje said: “A myth has taken hold in South Africa that service delivery was a failure. However research we have published over the past several years suggests that this is not the case.”

The record of delivery is indeed impressive:

  • More than 2.5 million houses have been built for the poor, sheltering more than 10 million people.
  • In 1994, only 62% of households had access to clean drinking water. Today 93% per cent do. Only half of households had access to decent sanitation 18 years ago; today just more than threequarters – 77% - enjoy this right.
  • In 1994, only 36% of South Africans had access to electricity – today the figure is 84%.
  • Today the majority of South Africans are given free basic services in water and electricity.
  • By 2010, close to 15 million people received social grants. Of those, 9.5 million were under the age of 14 years, compared with just 2.4million in 1996.

These are significant achievements given that, prior to 1994, these services were non-existent for the majority of citizens.

Government knows though that much more work remains and that we must redouble our efforts for better and faster service delivery.

The government is using public service month to take a hard look at the achievements of Batho Pele, challenges with its implementation and its impact on the five national priorities of education, housing, rural development, job creation and crime.

During the month the department, in collaboration with national departments and offices of the premiers, will undertake programmes to improve service delivery.

Government leaders and senior and middle management will undertake unannounced visits to frontline service delivery points.

They will actively assess, monitor and follow-up on service delivery challenges, and also engage with business and civil society.

These are expected to strengthen government’s efficiency and improve citizens’ satisfaction levels. The government hopes that the lessons learnt during the month will ultimately lead to even faster progress in dealing with backlogs and challenges to service delivery.

Speaking at the Salga congress, President Zuma noted that many complex challenges were created by the structural fault lines of our colonial and apartheid history.

“If we forget that, we then exaggerate challenges and we don’t see the attempts made,” said the president.

He further said that government had made substantial progress in delivering services to the poor, but that backlogs remained due to past realities. Working within these realities, the public service remained committed to ensuring a better life for all, and is unwavering in its quest to work harder and smarter for all our people. Public service month is the vehicle to once again look deep within and to reinvigorate service.

Phumla Williams is Acting CEO of the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS)

Share this page