Self-enrichment pattern must be rooted out of public service

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Pretoria - Limpopo Premier Chupu Mathabatha says the self-enrichment syndrome is a cancer that must be confronted and rooted out from the Public Service.

“There are things that we simply can no longer tolerate in public service. This includes what I consider to be deliberate failures of some departments or officials to provide their Annual Financial Statements to the Auditor General in time for audit.

“Those of us who are privileged to serve in public service are also trusted with public resources. This trust is not a blank cheque; it comes with constitutional obligation to account.

“The self-enrichment syndrome is a cancer we must confront and root out from public service. To act otherwise is to undermine our Constitution and to take our people for granted. There is simply no room for partisan tendencies and activities within the public service,” he said.

Premier Mathabatha was speaking at the engagement forum organised by the Public Service Commission in Polokwane on Tuesday.

The Premier told the gathering that the country’s Constitution has mandated the provincial government to build a public service which is governed by democratic values.

Good story to tell

“For our part as government, we summarise the past 20 years of our freedom and democracy with a phrase that says ‘we have a good story to tell’.

“I am convinced that the most difficult thing, even more difficult than rocket science, is to oppose the existence of this good story.

“We have made an unrivalled progress in providing social services such as healthcare, education and housing,” he said.   

In Limpopo, the African National Congress-led government has in the last 20 years managed to:

  • Provide over 86% of households with clean drinking water;
  • Electrify over 87% of households;
  • Provide free housing to millions of our residents and
  • Improved access to decent sanitation with about 10%.

These achievements, Premier Mathabatha said, are to a greater extent the achievements of the public service.

“Without committed men and women in public service, who epitomise the values of accountability, openness and transparency, we would not have achieved what we have achieved in the past 20 years,” he said.

However, he said there is still much more that can and must be done to build an ideal public service. He said the starting point is to strengthen the capacity of the public service to make it effective, efficient and development oriented.

“We need a public service that promotes effective, efficient and economic utilisation of resources,” he said. - SAnews.gov.za