Address by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Gauteng Senior Management Service Conference at Birchwood Conference Centre, Ekurhuleni
Premier of Gauteng, Mr David Makhura,
Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MECs and Mayors,
Senior managers in the Gauteng provincial government,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Exactly 100 years have passed since a public servant by the name of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje published one of the defining accounts of the colonial dispossession of our people.
His masterpiece, Native Life in South Africa, opens with the memorable passage:
"Awakening on Friday morning, June 20, 1913, the South African native found himself, not actually a slave, but a pariah in the land of his birth.”
Unable to advance in the public service beyond the position of a court interpreter, Plaatje became a journalist, author and activist, becoming the first Secretary General of the African National Congress.
Because of his devotion and deep love for his people, Plaatje dedicated his life to the cause of the oppressed masses.
Fittingly, the following words are etched on his tombstone:
Ikhutse Morolong: Modiredi wa Afrika
Rest in Peace Morolong: Servant of Africa.
As we meet at this crucial Senior Management Service Conference, we must ask ourselves whether our people would describe us as true servants of our land and continent.
Do we work selflessly to ensure that that those who were deprived of their land, rights and livelihood no longer suffer the indignity of being a pariah in the land of their birth?
Are we, who lead the public service, motivated to make a difference in the lives of ordinary South Africans?
Are we filled with joy when we provide houses, clean drinking water and decent sanitation to those who have gone for so long without?
Do we have sleepless nights because there are still young children who come to school hungry and return homes to parent their siblings?
Do we actively advance social cohesion, non-racialism and non-sexism?
Are we agents of change?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our democratic state is founded on the values of human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights.
The Constitution directs all of us to work together to improve the quality of life of all citizens and to free the potential of each person.
The public service is a critical tool at government's disposal to discharge its mandate to improve the quality of life of all our people.
The Constitution requires that a high standard of professional ethics must be promoted and maintained in the public service.
It says that efficient, economic and effective use of resources must be promoted, and that public administration must be development-oriented.
As government, we will continue to invest in developing the skills of public servants.
We will continue to promote an appropriate set of values and attitudes.
We expect the Senior Management Service to lead the transformation of the public service by embracing the values of the Constitution.
We expect the Senior Management Service to lead the implementation of the National Development Plan.
The NDP aims to unite all South Africans around a common programme to achieve prosperity and equality.
The Plan recognises that we must build the capability of the state to play a developmental, transformative role.
It says that a developmental state builds the capabilities of people to improve their own lives, while intervening to correct historical inequalities.
It adds that neither government nor the market can develop the necessary capabilities on their own.
The NDP makes this important observation:
"A developmental state needs to be capable, but a capable state does not materialise by decree, nor can it be legislated or waved into existence by declarations.
"It has to be built, brick by brick, institution by institution, and sustained and rejuvenated over time. It requires leadership, sound policies, skilled managers and workers, clear lines of accountability, appropriate systems, and consistent and fair application of rules.”
This conference is about building that capable state.
It is about the nation's desire for an activist cadre of public servants that are patriotic, professional and efficient.
It is about building a state that treats citizens with dignity.
It is about the realisation that if we underperform, the lives of our people will not improve.
It is about the realisation that unless we live the Batho Pele principles, social progress will be retarded and social discord will grow.
Colleagues,
Gauteng is on course to restore the dignity of our people through the implementation of the National Development Plan, which puts the interests of the poor at the centre of its vision.
It uses the concept of sustainable livelihoods to describe a minimum basket of goods and services that the poor need to live meaningful lives.
Some of this can be attained through wage income; but for many, the state will continue to be the major provider of services.
More effective state provision of education, health, municipal services, public transport and social security is needed to improve the living standards of the poor.
That is why the NDP speaks of the need for public institutions to be better managed, direct resources more efficiently, reduce wastage and eradicate corruption and mismanagement.
These public institutions need to be more accountable, more responsive to the needs of the people, more transparent and more effective at drawing on the resources and capabilities that exist outside government.
We have made important progress in developing the capacity of the state to monitor and evaluate the provision of services.
We are institutionalising the planning function across all spheres of government.
And we are drawing on best practice to improve the interface between government and communities in advancing social development.
We therefore welcome the opportunity to interact with the cadres of the Gauteng provincial government, so that we may understand and learn and, where appropriate, adapt and adopt.
We are impressed by Gauteng's approach to radical economic change, modernisation, industrialisation and spatial transformation.
Gauteng has pioneered the open tender system to eliminate corruption.
The Gauteng Enterprise Propeller provides useful lessons for small enterprise development.
The province is advancing education with innovative approaches to teaching and learning through e-learning platforms.
Initiatives such as the Gauteng City Region Academy and partnerships with various tertiary institutions underline the provincial government's commitment to developing its human capital.
Training and development of the senior public service cadre is an essential feature of a successful developmental state.
Also impressive, is the progress Gauteng has made in promoting gender equality in the public service.
The most senior public servant in the province is a woman. So too are six out of the 13 heads of departments.
It is for this commitment to transformation that others across the country look to Gauteng for inspiration and guidance.
As we reflect on the role of public servants today, we recall the words of former President Nelson Mandela to the Public Service Commission in 1996. He said:
"For the majority of South Africans, the Public Service was seen as a hostile instrument of an oppressive minority.
"We have an immense challenge to build a state that is truly oriented towards the service of all South Africans; that is equitably representative of our society; that is guided by the broad vision of a better life for all; and that is dedicated to making efficient use of public resources.”
We can say with some confidence that much progress has been made in meeting this immense challenge.
The public service has been qualitatively transformed in the last two decades.
Though there may be deficiencies and weaknesses, the public service of today strives continuously towards the goal of a better life for all.
It is truly oriented towards the service of all South Africans.
Allow me to conclude with the words of former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel when he addressed a senior management conference in 2004.
He said to the assembled public servants:
"Please remember that your enemy is poverty and deprivation, that your key weapon is your skill and professionalism and that your modus operandi is your humility.”
As I stand here today, I see before me the humble servants of the people of Gauteng.
I see dedicated professionals who are using their skills, talents and energies to end poverty and deprivation.
I see the capable developmental state being built brick by brick.
I thank you.
