Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Mr Masenyani Richard Baloyi today delivered the keynote address at the first day of the 32nd African Association of Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) Roundtable Conference.
The conference hosted under the theme, “Repositioning the African Public Services for the realisation of National Visions” is scheduled to take place from today ending Friday, 19 November 2010 at the Southern Sun Elangeni in Durban.
Delivering the keynote address, South African Public Service and Administration Minister Mr Masenyani Richard Baloyi spoke on the significance of AAPAM in realising national visions aligning the Association to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
AAPAM is an organ of civil society with a continental reach that has a very strategic role to play in shaping and directing the public service repositioning issues within the APRM contextual framework.
It is in the professionalisation nature of AAPAM and other in-country professional associations that AAPAM can create a niche for itself to both direct and influence the public service repositioning processes required by the APRM process.
“The think-tank capability of AAPAM positions it as an association that can muster from amongst its members an intellectual repository that can provide an originative historical context for public service repositioning in Africa. It is in the indigenisation potential of AAPAM that Africa can be relieved of policy directives that still have a colonizing sub-context disguised as ‘international benchmarks’.
On the need of AAPAM being responsive in realising citizen needs, Minister Baloyi added that AAPAM will be failing the continent if it does not create a public service cadreship ready to face the developmental needs of the continent.
“Repositioning the public service for national visioning will require from Africa and therefore AAPAM and other professional associations a public service cadre that has the following attributes:
- Breaking new ground through innovations for solutions
- Inspiring success through self motivation and motivating others
- Raising standards to world-class level
- Introducing turnaround strategies to salvage situations
- Making a difference in the lives of the people through running an extra mile and sacrifice for others
- Ensuring success through collective leadership
- On board and own processes and initiatives
- International exposure and open for influence.
The development of these attributes would require an African network of like-minded public administration and management practitioners and scholars. It is therefore not only a responsibility for AAPAM to be at the forefront of organising these individuals across the African continent” Minister Baloyi concluded.
Having welcomed the delegates to the host province earlier was the KwaZulu- Natal MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Mr Michael Mabuyakhulu. MEC Mabuyakhulu introduced the delegates to the province, highlighting opportunities that exist for public administrators and interventions sought to realise the visions of the KwaZulu-Natal province for an efficient and effective public administration. MEC Mabuyakhulu wished the delegates well in their engagements that will take place during the course of the week.
Officially opening the 32nd AAPAM Roundtable Conference was the President of AAPAM, Mr Tlohang Sekhamane who is the Secretary to the Cabinet in Lesotho. Mr Sekhamane welcomed the Ministers, Heads of Institutions and representatives of the 25 African countries represented at the conference outlining the theme and objectives for the week.
Mr Sekhamane noted the presence of the development partners namely, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), CIDA Canada, through the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC), the Commonwealth Secretariat through the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC), and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).
Concluding his remarks, the AAPAM President congratulated South Africa on the successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. Speaking on the soccer spectacular, Mr Sekhamane reminisced on the “Style, pomp, finesse, parlance: world class!!!” reiterating the pride bestowed on the African continent by South Africa.
For more information contact:
Dumisani Nkwamba
Cell: 082 885 9448
Tel: 012 336 1704
E-mail: dumisanin@dpsa.gov.za
Lebohang Mafokosi
Cell: 082 312 4641
Tel: 012 336 1017
E-mail: lebohangm@dpsa.gov.za
