Pretoria - The success of any Director-General (DG) in the public service is dependent on the department which is a collective of people, says Acting GCIS CEO, Phumla Williams.
In cases where a department is without a DG at that particular period, Williams says the collective continues to steer the ship and deliver in accordance with the set objectives of the planning and implementation plan.
“Every department is a collective of people who are qualified, experienced and committed to serve the public,” said Williams in a statement on Friday.
She was reacting to media queries regarding the tenure of DGs in the public service.
Like other organised institutions, government has a clear cycle of planning, implementation and reporting within the prescripts of relevant legislation.
Part of this cycle, she explained, includes the five year strategic plan that is governed by the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and other guidelines.
Each year, the President sets the tone by outlining the focus for the year in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA). This is followed by the allocation of budget in response to the key priorities outlined by the President.
In order to ensure implementation of the tasks, the President signs Delivery Agreements with members of his Cabinet who in turn oversee the signing of performance agreements with their Accounting Officers, who are DGs.
“In view thereof, the number of DGs employed in the public service, their years of tenure and decisions for leaving the employment of government have no bearing on continuity with regards to the implementation of the Programme of Action, as well as service delivery.” - SAnews.gov.za
