Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube is expected to participate in a panel discussion at the 25th Annual South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) Conference in Durban, where academics, policymakers and public sector practitioners will examine the role of effective governance in advancing sustainable development.
The conference, taking place from 27 September to 3 October 2026, at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, is being held under the theme: “Growth and Sustainability through Improved Governance: Reimagining Institutions, Leadership and Development in a Changing World”.
The gathering comes as South Africa continues to navigate challenges around institutional capacity, leadership, accountability, service delivery, economic development and public trust.
It will provide a platform for participants to consider how improved governance can support inclusive economic growth, sustainable development, effective institutions and better public services.
Discussions will also examine the evolving role of local government and how municipalities can respond to complex political, economic, technological, social and environmental challenges, while strengthening democratic governance and service delivery.
Key areas of discussion include governance, institutions and effective leadership; local government, democracy and political dynamics; development planning, service delivery and sustainability in urban and rural contexts; economic growth, innovation and regional development; international relations, global governance and decolonial development; higher education governance, decolonisation and transformation; and digital, smart and future governance.
The conference will further provide an opportunity for participants to explore innovative approaches to strengthening public institutions and developing governance systems that respond to the changing needs of society.
Dube-Ncube’s participation will draw on her leadership experience across different spheres of government, with a particular focus on the role of values and ethics in strengthening public institutions and shaping society.
“The Deputy Minister will further speak on the role of higher education in inculcating a national value system that can be rightfully used as a mechanism for building a societal value and ethics ecosystem,” the department said.
The conference is being held in collaboration with the University of Zululand, the University of South Africa (UNISA), the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), the National School of Government (NSG), the Public Service Education and Training Authority (PSETA), the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), the Public Service Commission (PSC), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and Durban University of Technology (DUT).
The collaboration brings together government, academia, professional bodies and other stakeholders to strengthen knowledge and practice in public administration and governance. - SAnews.gov.za
