Category: Africa

By William Baloyi
To answer the call to serve is to take on one of life’s highest callings. Every September, Public Service Month gives us an opportunity to recognise the thousands of public servants who work every day to improve the lives of South Africans. It is also an opportunity to reflect on how we can continue strengthening the public service so that it remains responsive, accessible and capable of meeting the changing needs of the people it serves.

The world in which we deliver public services is changing rapidly. Citizens increasingly use digital platforms to communicate, access information, make payments, conduct business and manage many aspects of their daily lives. These changes are creating new expectations about how services should be accessed and delivered. Government is responding to this changing environment by embracing digital transformation as an important enabler of a modern, efficient and citizen-centred public service.

This direction is consistent with the vision of the National Development Plan 2030, which calls for well-run and effectively coordinated state institutions supported by skilled public servants who are committed to the public good and capable of delivering consistently high-quality services. Digital transformation can help advance this vision by enabling government to simplify processes, improve access to information, strengthen coordination and provide public servants with better tools to perform their responsibilities.

Importantly, digitisation is not about technology for technology’s sake. It is about using innovation purposefully to strengthen the quality of public services and improve the experience of citizens. This means designing digital services around the needs of the people who use them, making information easier to access, simplifying processes and enabling government systems to work together more effectively. 

The Department of Public Service and Administration’s Digital Public Services Standard reinforces this approach by emphasising services that are accessible, ethical, secure, user-centric and innovative, in keeping with the principles of Batho Pele.

We are already seeing this transformation take shape across government. Digital Identity is creating opportunities for citizens to securely verify their identities and access government services digitally, while the expansion of digital Home Affairs services, including the partnership with participating banks, is bringing selected services closer to citizens through channels beyond traditional government offices.

These developments form part of a broader digital transformation agenda. Through the MyMzansi initiative and the Digital Transformation Roadmap, government is laying the foundations for more connected digital public services, including secure digital identity, data exchange, digital payments and trusted digital channels for accessing government information and services. Initiatives such as MzansiXchange are supporting this vision by creating opportunities for secure information sharing and verification across government. Together, these innovations demonstrate how government is using technology to make services more accessible, strengthen coordination and build a Public Service that is better equipped to respond to the needs of citizens.

As we embrace these opportunities, digital inclusion must remain at the centre of our approach. Not every South African has the same level of access to connectivity, devices or digital skills. A modern Public Service must therefore expand digital access while ensuring that appropriate alternative channels remain available. Digital transformation should broaden access to government, rather than create new barriers. Our commitment to putting people first must remain constant, even as the tools we use to serve them evolve.

Digitisation can also transform the experience of the public servant. Public servants need innovative tools to perform their duties. Emerging technologies can help officials access information, automate routine processes, and spend less time on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus more fully on their core responsibilities.

The Batho Pele AI Chatbot, launched in August 2026 in partnership with Meta and Juicetel, is one example of how government is using emerging technologies to support its workforce. The chatbot provides public servants with access to policy updates, circulars, legislation and other important government information in nine South African official languages. By reducing the time officials spend searching for information, the tool can help improve responsiveness and enable public servants to devote more time and attention to the people they serve.

Although technology is an enabler, it cannot replace the human responsibility of public service. Artificial intelligence can provide information, automate processes and support decision-making, but public servants remain accountable for the decisions they make and the services they provide. 

Judgement, empathy, ethics and a commitment to the public good cannot be automated. The purpose of digital transformation is therefore not to remove people from public service, but to equip them to serve people better. Technology can therefore strengthen the capacity of the Public Service while allowing the human qualities at the heart of public service to remain firmly in place.

This transformation also requires collaboration. The pace of technological change means that government can benefit from working with the private sector, academia, civil society and other partners that bring expertise, innovation and new perspectives. Partnerships can help accelerate solutions and expand what is possible. 

At the same time, government has a responsibility to ensure that innovation serves the public interest, protects citizens’ information, promotes inclusion and remains aligned with our constitutional values. 
*Baloyi is the Deputy Government Spokesperson

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury has recorded a significant improvement in its Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) performance, advancing from a Level 6 contributor to a Level 3 contributor after achieving an overall score of 91.02 points on its latest B-BBEE scorecard.  

KZN Finance MEC Francois Rodgers welcomed the achievement, saying it reflects the department’s continued commitment to transformation, economic inclusion, skills development, enterprise support and socio-economic development.

“This improvement from Level 6 to Level 3 demonstrates our commitment to advancing meaningful economic transformation and creating opportunities for historically disadvantaged individuals and businesses.  

“While we are encouraged by this achievement, we remain focused on strengthening our empowerment initiatives and ensuring that transformation contributes to inclusive economic growth across KwaZulu-Natal,” Rodgers said in a statement on Monday. 

B-BBEE contributor levels measure an organisation’s performance against the objectives of South Africa’s B-BBEE framework, with Level 1 representing the highest contributor status and Level 8 the lowest recognised level, while entities scoring zero are classified as non-compliant.

The latest scorecard places KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury at Level 3, reflecting its improved performance against the applicable B-BBEE criteria.

Rodgers said the department’s strong performance was driven by progress in key elements of the scorecard, including: 
•    Preferential procurement: deliberate targeted procurement saw the department exceeding its targets on procurement spend on designated groups; 
•    Skills development: through various training programmes for employees, internships and learnerships, including the critical SAICA (South African Institute of Chartered Accountants) programme where the department produces chartered accountants to service the public sector; 
•    Enterprise and supplier development, and socio-economic development included initiatives such as the iLembe Organic community project which supports rural black farmers including youth beneficiaries.  

Rodgers reaffirmed Provincial Treasury’s commitment to building on this achievement and further advancing the objectives of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment in the province. – SAnews.gov.za
 

The eThekwini Municipality is intensifying damage assessments and recovery operations following a Level 6 thunderstorm that battered the city between 16 and 19 September 2026, affecting 27 wards and damaging homes and municipal infrastructure.

Updates presented at the municipality’s Joint Operations Centre meeting on Monday showed that disaster management teams responded to 19 incidents across the region.

The severe weather affected 14 households and 84 residents, with five homes completely destroyed and nine partially damaged.

Fourteen people, including one person living with a disability, were displaced. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.

The municipality said assessments remain underway to determine the full extent of the damage and the support required by affected communities.

The Primary Health Care Services Directorate reported that about 30 health facilities were affected by the adverse weather.

While some facilities experienced roof leaks and water ingress, all sites remain operational and continue to provide essential healthcare services.

The Electricity and Energy Directorate reported no major infrastructure damage, although several electricity poles were affected and are undergoing assessment.

“Restoration teams are working around the clock to restore supply, with the Central Western Region identified as the hardest hit. Municipal Disaster Management, Emergency Services, and other key response units remain on the ground assisting affected communities, conducting assessments, and restoring critical services,” the municipality said.

The recovery efforts come as the city faces another period of potentially severe weather. 

The municipality has urged residents to take precautions following a Level 2 severe weather warning for thunderstorms issued by the South African Weather Service for Sunday, 20 September, to Monday evening, 21 September.

Forecasts indicate widespread thunderstorms across KwaZulu-Natal, with the eThekwini region expected to be significantly affected.

The municipality’s Disaster Management Directorate and Emergency Services remain on high alert and ready to respond to weather-related incidents.

Residents have been urged to remain vigilant, monitor official weather updates and take precautions to protect lives and property.

In an emergency, residents can contact the City’s Disaster Management Centre on 031 361 0000. – SAnews.gov.za
 

By Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi
Last year, during Public Service Month, I called on the public service to recommit itself to professionalism, integrity, and the Batho Pele principles of service excellence. I did so with a clear understanding that our people have grown impatient with empty promises. They want to see a state that works, responds to their needs and delivers services efficiently and with dignity.

Building a capable, ethical, and developmental state remains one of the priorities of this administration. This requires us to recruit and develop public servants who are not only skilled and citizen-centred, but who can also be trusted to execute their responsibilities with integrity and professionalism.

A year on, Public Service Month provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made, the challenges that remain, and the work that lies ahead. More importantly, it is an opportunity for every public servant to consider the role they must play in building a state that serves its people.

Professionalising the public service
The signing into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Public Service Amendment Act and the Public Administration Management Amendment Act marked an important step in strengthening the professionalisation of the public service.

The Amendment Acts reinforce ethical conduct and provide greater clarity on the roles and responsibilities of executive authorities and heads of departments. They also seek to address wage disparities, promote fiscal sustainability in conditions of service, and give effect to Constitutional Court findings concerning provisions of the Public Service Act. These legislative reforms are complemented by the Professionalisation Framework, which continues to guide recruitment and ensure that suitably qualified and competent candidates are appointed to positions within the public service.

Professionalisation, however, cannot end with recruitment. It must be supported by continuous learning, skills development, and a culture of excellence. The National School of Government remains central to this effort. More than 600 000 people have enrolled in its programmes since its inception, while the Nyukela Senior Management Service programme continues to expand compulsory training in areas such as financial management and digital skills.

The establishment of the 12-member Ministerial Advisory Committee, chaired by former Deputy President Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, will further strengthen this work by providing strategic guidance on the curriculum of the National School of Government. Its contribution will be important in ensuring that public servants are equipped to respond to the increasingly complex demands of a modern, capable, and developmental state.

An ethical and accountable public service
Competence without ethics is not enough.

A professional public service must be ethical, accountable, reliable and worthy of public trust. It must embody the Batho Pele principles not merely as a policy framework, but as a standard of conduct in every interaction with citizens. 

For this reason, we have intensified lifestyle audits and consequence management as part of our efforts to prevent corruption, protect public resources and rebuild confidence in government. In 2026, we achieved a 93% compliance rate in lifestyle audits. This is encouraging progress, but it is not the destination. We are working with key stakeholders, including COGTA and SALGA, to develop regulations that will extend lifestyle audits to the local government sphere.

Accountability must also mean that misconduct has consequences. We will therefore intensify the monitoring of disciplinary case backlogs across national and provincial departments, in line with the objectives of the Discipline Management Strategy. The aim is to strengthen discipline management through clear norms and standards while building the institutional capacity required to deal with misconduct effectively and without unnecessary delay.

The Central Register for disciplinary cases will be operational across all three spheres of government from the beginning of the next financial year. This will strengthen accountability by preventing dismissed employees from simply moving between government institutions to evade the consequences of misconduct.

The Public Service Commission Bill, which is now before the President for assent, represents another important step towards strengthening the Public Service Commission and reinforcing its impartiality and independence.

These measures send a clear message: public service is a position of responsibility, not entitlement. Where public resources and public trust are placed in our hands, accountability must follow.

Improving service delivery 
Ultimately, the success of government is not measured by the number of policies adopted or strategies developed. It is measured by the experience of the citizen. A capable state is one that turns policy into tangible improvements in people’s lives.

Innovations incubated through the Centre for Public Service Innovation are already demonstrating what is possible when government combines public-sector expertise with innovation and technology. The award-winning Broselow Emergency Reference Tape, for example, helps reduce paediatric emergency errors and save lives in healthcare facilities across the Western Cape, Gauteng and the City of Tshwane. The Smart Agriculture Box is supporting Correctional Services and rural communities, while shared e-recruitment and citizen portal systems are helping government improve the way it interacts with citizens.

Government has also approved the Roadmap on Digital Transformation of Government, establishing a focused framework for modernising public services through investment in digital public infrastructure.

At the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), we have further embraced this digital transformation through the launch of the Batho Pele AI Chatbot. The tool provides public servants with instant access to public service policy updates, circulars, legislation and other critical information.

The initiative is the brainchild of a public-private partnership between the DPSA, Meta and Juicetel. It demonstrates how responsible innovation and strategic partnerships can help government improve access to information, strengthen institutional knowledge and support more responsive public administration.

Technology, however, is not a substitute for public servants. It is an enabler. The ultimate responsibility for service delivery remains with the people entrusted with serving the public.

Restoring confidence in government 
The work of building a capable, ethical and development-oriented state is ultimately about one thing: restoring confidence in government. Citizens must be able to believe that when they approach a public institution, they will be treated with dignity; that when government commits, it will act on it; and that when public servants fail in their responsibilities, there will be consequences.

This is not the responsibility of one department, one minister or one sphere of government. It is a collective responsibility. Every public servant has a role to play — from the frontline official assisting a citizen, to the manager making decisions, to the senior executive providing strategic leadership. Public Service Month must therefore be more than an annual commemoration. It must be a moment of recommitment.
We must recommit ourselves to professionalism over complacency, integrity over personal interest, accountability over impunity, and service over self. 

A capable state is built by capable people. An ethical state is built by ethical people. And a developmental state is built by public servants who understand that their authority exists not for themselves, but to serve the people of South Africa.

The responsibility is ours. And the work must continue. 

*Buthelezi is the Minister for the Public Service and Administration
*This article first appeared in Public Sector Magazine

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has forecast that a surface high-pressure system will extend its ridge into the eastern and southern parts of the country this week, bringing isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers.

Windy conditions are also expected in some areas.

Monday’s weather is expected to be partly cloudy, windy, and cool to warm, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers.

The weather service has issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms, with heavy downpours, hail, and excessive lightning expected.

These conditions could lead to localised flooding and damage to infrastructure and settlements across KwaZulu-Natal.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Nama Khoi Municipality in the Northern Cape.

The extended forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday indicates partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers expected. –SAnews.gov.za

Government has committed to accelerating interventions to address persistent service delivery challenges in the Phokwane Local Municipality in the Northern Cape.

The municipality faces challenges including unreliable water supply, ageing infrastructure, housing backlogs, unemployment, and electricity interruptions.

Deputy Minister of Human Settlements Tandi Mahambehlala made the commitment during an Integrated Service Delivery Outreach Visit to Phokwane in the Frances Baard District on Friday.

Leading the outreach on behalf of Deputy President Paul Mashatile, the Deputy Minister said the outreach forms part of the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Service Delivery, chaired by the Deputy President.

The Deputy Minister said the visit aimed to ensure that government leaders engage directly with communities and understand their challenges first-hand.

“Today is therefore not merely an exercise in listening. It is part of holding all spheres of government accountable for delivery,” Mahambehlala said.

The delegation visited the Vaalharts/Taung Irrigation Scheme, the Vala Zonke Project and the Pecan Nut Processing Plant to assess both the municipality’s development potential and obstacles holding back economic growth.

Mahambehlala said residents have clearly identified a range of pressing service delivery failures, including unreliable water supply, ageing infrastructure, potholes, sewer spillages, and electricity interruptions among others.

“These concerns are legitimate. They are the daily measure of dignity,” she said.

She acknowledged that government’s response has not kept pace with the needs of communities and that while progress has been made in some areas, “implementation has not happened at the speed communities deserve.”

Mahambehlala emphasised that government will have to move beyond engagements and ensure that identified interventions are implemented.

The water and sanitation challenges in Pampierstad, including asbestos pipelines, recurring pipe bursts, sewer blockages and sanitation problems, were among the issues raised. This as government implements projects to upgrade bulk water and sanitation infrastructure.

“As government, we do not claim to have all the answers. But we have listened. We have taken note. We have seen your challenges.”

On housing, Mahambehlala acknowledged long-standing frustrations over housing backlogs, including shortage of serviced sites and delays associated with bulk infrastructure.

She identified projects in Ganspan, Bonita Park, Kingston, Masakeng, Andalusia and Nkandla, but acknowledged that the pace of delivery remains “far from satisfactory.”

Mahambehlala said the outreach must help ensure that blockages delaying these projects are addressed through greater coordination between government institutions.

Unemployment was another major concern, with the municipality’s rate estimated at approximately 43%.

Communities, she said, should not be treated as beneficiaries of development, but that investment in communities translates into jobs, skills and enterprise opportunities.

She also called on the municipality, major employers, agricultural enterprises, businesses and investors to strengthen local recruitment and procurement, while expanding internships, apprenticeships and learnerships.

“Every infrastructure project, every agricultural investment, every housing development must become a vehicle for local job creation, skills development and enterprise opportunities.”

The Deputy Minister also supported calls for a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college in the area to expand access to post-school education and training. She noted that young people should not have to leave their communities to access opportunities.

The government’s response to infrastructure challenges will also have to include roads, electricity networks and protection of infrastructure from vandalism and theft.

Mahambehlala said the Kolong Road Project and Vala Zonke Programme are among interventions being implemented but acknowledged that the infrastructure backlog remains significant.

She said investment in electrification and network upgrades must be accompanied by stronger measures to address vandalism and electricity theft.

The Deputy Minister said the District Development Model provides a framework for ensuring that government does not work in silos.

“National, provincial and local government must plan together, budget together, and deliver together. The people of Phokwane do not care which sphere is responsible. They simply want services, dignity and opportunity,” she said.

While noting Phokwane’s agricultural assets, where local businesses and young people provide a foundation for economic development, Mahlabehlala stressed that this potential can only be realised through coordinated government action and effective implementation.

Mahambehlala assured residents that their concerns and the observations made during the visit will be reported directly to the Deputy President. – SAnews.gov.za