Public Service and Administration Minister Mzamo Buthelezi has emphasised the critical need for a more transparent, ethical, and efficient relationship between the political leadership and public administration.
He believes that the interface between politics and administration should be guided by mutual respect, clearly defined roles, and a shared commitment to the public good.
The Minister was speaking during a roundtable discussion on strengthening the political and administrative interface led by Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
The gathering, which is currently underway, is focusing on improving governance, and the Minister highlighted several crucial points about governance reform.
READ | Roundtable to focus on strengthening political and administrative interface
Friday’s engagement is part of the broader efforts by the Presidency to support the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030.
The NDP emphasises the importance of establishing a capable and developmental state to address the country’s socio-economic challenges effectively.
Buthelezi welcomed the platform to reflect the relationship between the political heads and the accounting officers.
“The interface forms a crucial pillar of their capacity, as it invites us to look deeply at the architecture of our governance,” he told the attendees.
The Minister identified key challenges, including unstable relationships between Ministers and senior officials, political interference in administrative decisions, accountability gaps and undermining service delivery.
He believes that the inefficiency and tensions diminish public confidence.
“This roundtable, therefore, helps us to ask important questions as to how we lead with clarity of efforts, while ensuring that the institutions entrusted to us implement policy are empowered, are ethical and efficient.”
According to the Minister, the role of political facilities, including Ministers, is to provide strategic direction and mandate of government.
Reflections
Meanwhile, he said it is also the responsibility of administrators and accounting officers, including Heads of Departments, to translate that direction into implementable plans within legal, fiscal, and ethical frameworks.
He proposed reforms such as stronger tenure protection for Directors-General, more transparent performance contracts, better coordination across government departments and professionalising the public service.
The Minister stressed that governance is not just a technical exercise, but a fundamental process of building a “people-centred, capable, and corruption-resistant state.”
The roundtable called for honest reflection on internal party structures and their impact on governance, urging participants to move beyond discussions to concrete commitments for improving public service delivery.
The meeting represents a significant step towards addressing systemic challenges in government administration and strengthening democratic governance.
The Commissioner of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Professor Somadoda Fikeni, addressed the challenges facing South Africa’s administrative leadership.
His talk centred on improving the relationship between political leaders and civil servants, highlighting the urgent need for a more professional and capable state.
Fikeni said that the public sector is the largest employer and service provider, directly impacting citizens’ lives.
His discussion drew parallels with successful developmental states like South Korea and Singapore, where strong collaboration between political leadership and civil service has driven national progress.
Fikeni noted the persistent challenges, including high leadership turnover, potential political interference, and complex institutional dynamics.
He also challenged the leaders to move beyond mere discussion to concrete implementation, with participants calling for evidence-based solutions that prioritise national interest over factional politics.
“Whether you are from the private sector, you want to invest, you depend on the ethical capability of the state. You depend on this institution, whether you want to fight crime, GBV [gender-based violence], or you want to improve personal security; whether you want to see service delivery, it all depends on this one institution,” Fikeni said.
The gathering represented a critical effort to rebuild state capacity and address long-standing inefficiencies in South Africa’s public service, with hopes of creating a more responsive and effective government. – SAnews.gov.za
