Keynote address by Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, MP, at the launch of the annual Thusong Service Week
Theme: Repositioning of the Thusong Service Centres and Integrated Frontline Delivery to Enhance Responsiveness and Access to Government Services and Information
Programme Director, MEC of COGTA
Executive Mayor of King Cetshwayo District
Local Mayor of uMlalazi Local Municipality
National and Provincial Heads of Departments
Traditional Leaders
Municipality Councillors
Senior Officials and Frontline staff
Community of uMlalazi Local Municipality
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning,
I am humbled and honoured to be in this historically grounded community of KwaBiyela, in the heart of uMlalazi Local Municipality, under the banner of King Cetshwayo District.
Where we are today is a land that still carries the spirit of ubuntu. KwaBiyela is where ubuntu meets aspirations, and that is shown through the way this community lives everyday – through resilience.
That spirit of ubuntu is what brought us here under the fitting theme, “Repositioning of the Thusong Service Centres and Integrated Frontline Delivery to Enhance Responsiveness and Access to Government Services and Information."
Where we are is a community that has felt the weight of geographic isolation, economic exclusion and service delivery gaps. That is why the Thusong Service Week for this year, 2025, is launched here – because the presence of government must be felt strongest where the need is greatest.
Colleagues in the public service, today is not business as usual. Today is a call to action and a reminder that we are the face of government. When our fellow citizens walk in Thusong Centres, they must feel within you the embodiment of the Constitution of South Africa as well as of Batho Pele just from the service you render to them.
We are therefore here to be reminded of our solemn responsibility as public servants to bring government to the people in meaningful and measurable action.
The Thusong Service Week is commemorated throughout the country from the 15th to the 19th of September 2025 – along the Thusong Service Centre Programme as initiated by the democratic government since 1999 – and has been operational within different municipalities across the country since then.
Since its inception, the Programme has consistently served as one of the government's primary vehicles, providing continuous improvement and expansion of access to government services, information, opportunities, and strategic partnerships aimed at enhancing the lives of citizens closer to where they live, especially in rural and underprivileged areas.
The selection of this centre for the national launch is not accidental because KwaBiyela mirrors the rural reality of our country. Just like any other rural community, this community has a youth population with dreams that are held back by unemployment and limited access to opportunities.
This is a community shaped by the legacy of spatial injustice, infrastructure constraints, yet still bursting with potential. This is a community with its roots under the leadership of amakhosi neziNduna playing a pivotal role in preserving order, values and development.
It is also a region facing real challenges where access to critical services such as healthcare, social security and youth development is often strained by distance, infrastructure gaps and socio-economic realities.
Despite its size and the location, the Centre has demonstrated excellence and professionalism in providing quality access to government information and services to the rural communities of uMlalazi Local Municipality.
It has shown great potential as a place of strength and a place where government parastatals and leadership walk side by side in servicing the people. This is through the several awards of excellence that the centre has been accorded with both in the provincial and national spheres of government.
And that is the true demonstration of the power of partnerships. I must also emphasise that the leadership of amakhosi neziNduna remains one of the greatest allies in restoring trust in government – and this collaborative spirit is foundational.
I say it is the foundation because as amakhosi, you are not observers in development, but you are the enablers of transformation. You are the glue that holds our communities together. When government listens to amakhosi as leaders in the communities, it equates to honouring the voices of the people as their eyes, ears and moral compass.
We therefore acknowledge the local leadership and the dedicated public servants of this community for continuing to advocate for improved service delivery, employment opportunities as well as safer communities – not just for KwaBiyela but for all rural communities that sit at the margin of service delivery.
Despite the strides made by the Thusong Service Centres across the country, access to government services to where most of our people live remains a challenge.
The majority of Thusong Centres are still facing challenges regarding their location and resources like funding as well as staffing of the centres. As a result, some of the main participating departments that are providing critical services to our communities are leaving the Centres in search of locations that have ICT connectivity and bigger office space.
So, this week is more than the exhibitions and all what is displayed here. It is more about restoring faith and a living expression of Batho Pele.
It is about reaching communities where connectivity is a dream, where a simple birth certificate can change a child’s destiny and where government has been a rumour than a reality.
Through the Integrated Public Service Month (IPSM) framework, we aim to take service delivery directly to people, especially in remote areas like this one. We are here to re-commit to taking services to the people and not expecting them to come to us.
We re-commit to fostering intergovernmental collaborations where departments work together and not in silos.
We also re-commit to listening to the needs, the frustrations and the aspirations of our communities with even a bigger aim of rebuilding trust.
As the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), we aim to create space for dialogue and feedback as we believe that service delivery must be people-centred.
And most importantly, we aim to honour frontline public servants who are community champions for working tirelessly to serve even in challenging conditions.
Colleagues, trust in government is something that must be earned daily through action, humility and accountability.
DPSA has a responsibility to work in collaboration with other ministries across the three spheres of government to develop a framework for Service Centres which will ensure the strengthening of integrated service delivery through enhanced coordination and collaboration, integrated planning, and resource mobilisation that include an effective funding model.
As we launch this Thusong Week and beyond, I would like to urge all the public servants to rise above red tape, excuses and apathy and rise in the language of Batho Pele.
Let this be more than a campaign but a catalyst for renewed trust, stronger partnerships and a public service that lives up to its promise where we truly embody the Batho Pele principles and values that truly demonstrate We Belong, We Care, We Serve.
Thank you.
#ServiceDeliveryZA
