Source: South Africa News Agency

By Dr Izimangaliso Malatjie

The public service is often perceived as cumbersome and complex. In response, government has introduced targeted programmes to better prepare young people for careers in the public sector and the broader world of work.

As the country marks National Youth Month, two key initiatives—the Breaking Barriers to Entry into the Public Service (BB2E) programme and the Cadet Programme—are empowering graduates with the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to thrive in public service roles. 

Offered by the National School of Government, the five-day BB2E course and the 18-month Cadet Programme are designed for graduates with post-school qualifications, as well as interns in public sector departments and statutory bodies.

Addressing graduate unemployment

Graduate unemployment, particularly among those with post-school qualifications, continues to rise at an alarming rate. As one of the country’s largest employers, the public service has responded by creating opportunities for unemployed graduates through the Public Service Graduate Internship Programme, along with the BB2E and Cadet initiatives. 

These programmes aim to equip graduates with practical skills and an understanding of how the public sector operates. They cover essential areas such as administration, communication, and job-readiness, providing a critical steppingstone toward meaningful employment. 

This is a vital investment in youth development and capacity-building for the future of public service.

About the BB2E Course

The BB2E course introduces young participants to the structure and functioning of government. Key focus areas include: delivering quality public services; administration and management of public funds; performing basic administrative and communication functions; understanding policies guiding recruitment into public service; crafting effective CVs and interview preparation. 

The orientation programme is underpinned by values and principles found in Chapter 10 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, (1996). It is aimed at orientating participants to the public service, how the public service is organised and the way the public service functions.

About the Cadet Programme

The 18-month Cadet Programme, a complementary initiative to BB2E, goes deeper by exploring the broader public sector landscape and touching on social entrepreneurship. It consists of four key modules: 1) The Constitution and the Administration of the Public Sector 2) Ethics in the Public Service 3) Writing for Government and 4) Personal Mastery. 

The Personal Mastery module is particularly well-received by young people as it equips them with essential employability skills relevant in both public and private sectors, including: self-management; emotional intelligence; job search techniques; critical problem-solving; entrepreneurship and job creation.

Shaping the public servant of the future

These programmes aim to shape a new generation of public servants—cadres with a unique and progressive mindset. The ideal public servant is: 
•    Innovative: Able to turn policy into effective action.
•    Inspirational: Motivated and capable of motivating others.
•    Exemplary: Committed to high standards at every level of work.
•    Resourceful: Sees opportunity in challenges, not excuses.
•    Impact-driven: Focused on tangible outcomes that meet public expectations.
•    Collaborative: Values partnerships, teamwork, and stakeholder engagement.
•    Accountable: Takes ownership of service delivery outcomes.

Recent successes

In the 2024/25 financial year a total of 1465 young people undergone training on the BB2E programme. While 4145 were trained on Personal Mastery and 1668 of these young people were part of the Youth empowerment and development programme within the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE). 

In the current financial year, a total of 570 young participants from the National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC), an empowerment programme under the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, completed the Personal Mastery course.

Feedback from both participants and departmental officials has been overwhelmingly positive and have requested that more young people undergo training on this programme.

As the NSG, we strongly encourage departments and government entities at all levels to enroll their interns and young professionals in the Cadet Programme. Together, we can build a more capable, ethical, and responsive public service through empowering one young person at a time.

Enrolment

For enquiries and enrolment relevant officials in departments should contact The National School of Government call centre on 0861008326, via email on contactcentre@thensg.gov.za or visit the website on www.thensg.gov.za.

*Dr Izimangaliso Malatjie is the Chief Director for Cadet and Foundation Management at the National School of Government.

Source: South Africa News Agency

Gone are the days when human trafficking felt like an obscure crime that occurs under the cover of night in far off places we have never heard of. 

Every so often we hear of suspected human trafficking cases, and it is likely that you and I could have already interacted with a trafficked person(s) without even knowing it.

This as police rescued 44 illegal immigrants who were found locked in a house in Gauteng’s Parkmore suburb recently.

It was also reported in March that over 30 Ethiopian nationals were able to escape from a house in Johannesburg’s Lombardy East. In that case, it is suspected that the 30 were victims of a human trafficking syndicate.

In January, over 20 Ethiopians were rescued from a house in Johannesburg. The rescue followed a similar one in August 2024 where 82 Ethiopians were also found at a house in Johannesburg.

Additionally, human trafficking does not only take place on home soil. In March, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed that 23 South Africans who were part of a group of 7000 people from various countries, were rescued from Myanmar.

Before leaving South African shores in 2024, the men and women were lured by an employment agency to Thailand under the pretences of lucrative jobs that were advertised on various social media platforms.
According to DIRCO, the adverts promised the victims good salaries, free accommodation, comprehensive travel expenses, and other lucrative benefits. However, once in Thailand, they were transported to Myanmar against their will.

They were held captive for more than four months in a cybercrime compound in Myanmar, which borders Thailand. 

“The crime of human trafficking is a hidden one. It is a very different one in the sense that you are given promises of a better life through whatever means elsewhere. You wilfully participate in those engagements without knowing that as soon as you arrive at your destination, what you have been promised is no longer there,” said Deputy Director-General (DDG) Lucky Mohalaba.

Mohalaba is the DDG for Court Administration at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD).

“The courts are currently dealing with those matters [of human trafficking] and it ranges from sexual exploitation to forced labour,” he said in an interview with SAnews.

Legislation

He added that there are other forms of crimes in relation to the “Trafficking in Persons Act which may include harbouring, transporting [and] assisting in whatever form that those who have been trafficked are able to be moved around within our borders.”

This as the objects of South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 2013, among others, are to give effect to the country’s obligations concerning the trafficking of persons in terms of international agreements and to provide for the prevention of trafficking in persons and for the protection of and assistance to victims of trafficking, among others.

According to the legislation, any person who delivers, recruits, transports, transfers, harbours, sells, exchanges, leases or receives another person within or across the borders of the Republic, by means of the threat of harm, abduction and kidnapping among others, for the purpose of any form or manner of exploitation, is guilty of the offence of trafficking in persons.

It also states that any person who adopts a child, facilitated or secured through legal or illegal means; or concludes a forced marriage with another person, within or across the borders of the Republic, for exploitation purposes of that child or other person in any form, is guilty of an offence.

A person convicted of an offence of trafficking (by delivering, recruiting, transporting transferring harbouring and selling among others another person by means of a threat of harm, fraud and kidnapping among others, is liable to a fine not exceeding R100 million or imprisonment, including imprisonment for life, or such imprisonment without the option of a fine or both.

According to the National Prosecuting Agency, the passing of the trafficking legislation is a result of South Africa’s ratification of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children.

Additionally, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the protocol -which was adopted by the United Nations in November 2000 – is the world’s primary legal instrument to combat human trafficking.

Mohalaba stressed that government is tackling human trafficking.

“What we can say to the public is that government is doing quite a lot of work in relation to this matter. But working together with civil society as well as communities, as a department we are of the view that we can do a lot to further curb instances and the incidence of trafficking in persons in South Africa,” he said from his office at the DOJ&CD.

Increased effort 

There is tangible evidence that the work government is doing in this area is paying off with the county having moved to a better spot on the United States of America’s (USA) annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

In 2024, South Africa moved from Tier 2 Watch List of the report to Tier 2. 

Released in June last year, the report, which is available on the US Department of State website among others, notes that while South Africa does not “fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking… [it] is making significant efforts to do so.”

“The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period; therefore South Africa was upgraded to Tier 2. These efforts included increasing prosecutions of traffickers; identifying and referring more trafficking victims to protection services; and increasing the number of shelters available to assist trafficking victims,” the report stated.

It also took note of government’s National Inter-Ministerial Committee for Trafficking in Persons (NICTIP) to strengthen anti-trafficking efforts which included the Border Management Authority, the Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Team and the Financial Intelligence Center.

He said that work done includes ensuring that there is domestic legislation in place that deals with trafficking in persons and that the country has in place mechanisms to identify, assess victims or suspected victims of trafficking and ensuring that there are shelters to accommodate victims while court processes continue.

“As a result of our responses, we moved to Tier 2 as these are some of the issues the country has addressed. Of course, our aim is to ensure that we move a level higher up which will include putting more effort into ensuring that there’s appropriate training for officials that are dealing with these matters.  We are working on this,” he explained.

According to the TIP, the placement of countries into various tiers is not based on the size of a country’s problem “but on the extent of government efforts to meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking.”

These standards include the prohibition of severe forms of trafficking in person and punishing acts of such trafficking.
Tier 2 Watch List countries are those whose governments don’t fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making moves to “bring themselves into compliance” with the standards.

Tier 2 countries are those whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance. Additionally, Tier 1 countries are those in which governments fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

The TIP also has Tier 3 countries whereby governments do not fully meet the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.

Mohalaba added that the NICTIP which the department and the NPA are co-chairing, is “seized with coordinating a lot of efforts around the trafficking in persons across the country.”

“It also includes NGOs [non-government organisations] who take part in the discussions so that all of us working together are able to move our country forward and prevent this scourge in trafficking of persons.”

The report however flagged several issues including that law enforcement did not have the capacity and training to refer victims of trafficking to care and that victim services remained insufficient among others.

The report states that over “180 countries have ratified or acceded to the United Nations (UN) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (the UN TIP Protocol), which defines trafficking in persons and contains obligations to prevent and combat the crime.”

Collaboration 

South Africa’s Parliament passed the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons, 2013 Act which came into operation in August 2015.

“Again, we must appreciate the collaboration amongst the law enforcement agencies and particularly communities and civil society to ensure that these serious matters are addressed.

The act requires the DOJ&CD to develop the draft National and Policy Framework (NPF) which also requires the Minister of Justice to table the approved NPF in Parliament within one year after the commencement of the Act.

Added to that, the NFP is to be reviewed within three years after its publication in the government gazette and at least once every five years thereafter. The first NPF was approved by the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster in 2019 with the revised one having been approved by Cabinet in August 2023. It was tabled in Parliament in February 2024.

The framework comprises four pillars – namely: prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships.

“Trafficking is an international crime, and States have been encouraged to put in laws that deal with this. We are using the NFP to compliment the legislation working together with civil society to make sure that we combat and deal with issues of trafficking in persons,” said the DDG.

The NPF states that trafficking in persons is a “serious crime and a grave violation of human rights posing a serious challenge to communities and to society at large.”

In the document, government states that it is committed to preventing trafficking, as well as to assist and protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators.

“People go to great lengths to ensure that when people are trafficked, that it falls within the ambit of organised crime. We really want to appeal to the public that we should be vigilant when we see instances of people being trafficked in our villages, townships, in towns or any other areas we see the potential of people being trafficked,” said the DDG.

He added that the review of the policy framework will be made in 2027.

“As a country, we remain resolute in working with whichever country across the globe to ensure that the issues of trafficking in persons are actually made a priority across the world.” –SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

While  government has made significant strides since the 1990s in adopting digital technologies to ensure that it delivers efficient services to its citizens, it has not fully achieved this ideal.

To make up for this shortfall, government has, in recent years, taken important steps to improve the quality of and access to services. 

Digital platforms have expanded in many areas, making it possible to file taxes, apply for grants and access some services online. But for too many people, the experience of accessing public services remains a time-consuming and expensive exercise. 

Information often proves difficult to find, processes are duplicated in some instances, and some departments still operate in ways that are incompatible with the digital age and the evolving expectations of citizens. 

“South Africa has made considerable but uneven strides toward government digitalisation. 

“Despite pockets of excellence, slow and uncoordinated progress has left many people dissatisfied,” says Presidency Director of Strategy and Delivery Support, Saul Musker. 

In an ongoing effort to ensure that government services are easier to access, more reliable and less complicated to navigate for the people who depend on them, government has launched the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government.

“We are building on a lot of work that’s unfolded over decades. It started in the 1990s with the early adoption of digital technologies by government. In the 2000s, we had e-Government, which was characterised by silos.

“We are moving towards taking the ‘whole-of-government and society’ approach, developing solutions that are citizen-centered; that make life for citizens easier and introduces greater cohesiveness in government, so that citizens interface with government in one place to receive services and access information,” Musker said recently, addressing the launch of the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government, which was launched as part of Operation Vulindlela Phase ll.

Operation Vulindlela Phase ll is a joint initiative between the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms to enable economic growth and job creation.

Phase II of Operational Vulindlela will implement reforms in three new areas, including in digital transformation.

The roadmap sets out a focused plan to modernise delivery of government services through investment in digital public infrastructure.

These crucial digital reforms will enable all citizens to access seamless government services through a single trusted platform. This will be driven through improvements in identity verification, real-time payments, and data exchange.

“We want to invest in shared infrastructure and digital public infrastructure that can be used for hundreds of applications that reduces cost for the State and opens the door to innovation. We are moving away from the silo approach towards Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

“We recognise that digital transformation holds the potential for growth in South Africa. A new approach to digital transformation will restore trust in government and make services more reliable and accessible, reducing administrative burdens and costs for both government, organisations and people,” Musker said.

The Digital Transformation Roadmap will focus on four catalytic initiatives:

1. A Digital Identity System will allow South Africans a simple way to verify themselves and access services remotely.
2. A Data Exchange Framework will eradicate the silo effect in government, and allow greater efficiency and coordination in how the government operates.
3. A Digital Payments System that provides universal access to secure, low-cost payment options between government and citizens.
4. A single, zero-rated Digital Services Platform, where citizens can access all government services and information.

Digital reform

The Digital Transformation Roadmap will be implemented in two phases, with phase 1 being March 2025 – February 2027 and Phase 2 being March 2027 – February 2030. 

Phase 1 will prioritise social protection and its linkages with learning and earning opportunities due to its direct impact on millions of vulnerable South Africans. 

“This phase will deliver immediate, measurable impact and lay the foundation for broader digital reform.  The focus will be on digitising services for faster, more reliable access, linking social grants to employment, training, and income-generating opportunities to create pathways to sustainable livelihoods. 

“Additionally, technology will be used to address issues such as fraud and exclusion in the SRD370 grants, saving money and strengthening public trust.

“Phase 2 will expand focus to other key sectors, such as healthcare, education, and business services, building on the lessons learned from Phase 1 to scale successful technologies across government,” the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government said.

To drive implementation of the roadmap, the Presidency is establishing the Digital Service Unit (DSU) to coordinate this whole-of-government effort to modernise services.

The Presidency has appointed South African tech entrepreneur, Melvyn Lubega, to lead the DSU. 

Lubega is a globally recognised technology pioneer, who co-founded Go1 – a platform used by businesses, non-profit organisations, and governments in more than 60 countries. 

He has advised governments in Africa, Asia and Europe on digital transformation programmes. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

By Neo Bodumela

The “vicious cycle” of crumbling infrastructure and failing service delivery besetting municipalities is now under sharper focus as the second phase of Operation Vulindlela (OV) kicks off.

Operation Vulindlela is a joint initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms and support economic recovery. 

It was originally established in October 2020 with the first phase having zeroed in on reforms in five key areas with a high potential impact on growth and jobs: energy, logistics, telecommunications, water, and the visa system. 

The second phase of the operation was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa recently. The launch at the Union Buildings was preceded by a technical briefing conducted by National Treasury.

At the briefing, Presidency Director of Strategy and Delivery, Saul Musker, explained the impact that municipal under performance has on South Africa’s growth prospects. This in a country that has 257 metropolitan, district and local municipalities.

“I think it’s widely understood that the deteriorating performance of local government is a major constraint on growth, and you can solve; say the energy supply problem. But if you still have interruptions, because [of] ailing distribution networks or failures in service delivery that affects businesses, it holds back investment. 

“That decline in local government performance is the result of both particular factors in each municipality, as well as structural causes that have their roots in the system. The local government system itself and the reforms that we proposed in OV2 really aim to address those structural challenges,” Musker explained.
According to the OV Phase II document, the “deteriorating performance of local government has emerged as a significant constraint on investment and growth.”

Enhancing local government performance is among the three key reforms introduced by the second phase of OV (the other two being tackling the legacy of spatial inequality and accelerating digital transformation).

The document notes that an “increasing number of municipalities is affected by weak or unstable governance, poor revenue collection and funding shortfalls, and an inability to deliver basic services or process regulatory approvals.”

This as Musker added that the “heart of the problem” is a lack of investment in infrastructure and maintenance which impacts service delivery. 

The document further adds that the reform of the local government system will be prioritised to prevent it from acting as a binding constraint on growth.
Musker revealed a new model for revenue collection and expenditure for some municipalities that is expected to ensure service delivery and sustainability.

“The fact that our electricity and water networks, roads and so on are not being maintained, and the investment is falling behind… creates a vicious cycle. Because as the infrastructure deteriorates, revenue declines and the ability to reinvest in those assets declines as well. We’ve got to break that cycle. 

“And so, the first priority that we’ve set out is to shift to [a] utility model for water and electricity services in future, also for waste management what are otherwise termed ‘trading services’ in local government, to ensure financial and operational sustainability,” Musker said.

He further explained that because these trading services are fully integrated into most municipalities, revenue collected “instead of being reinvested first in the infrastructure and the assets, is “just sucked into the pool and used for other functions” like the compensation of employees.

“How do we address that? On the one hand, institutional reforms making sure that these utilities have a single point of management accountability, that they’re actually responsible for the service, and have control of everything that they need to be able to deliver that service with professional and skilled staff. 

“The second is financing reforms, separate financial accounts for the utility and a clear relationship between the utility and the municipality, which governs the division of revenue so that billing revenue is controlled by the utility, [and that] enough of that revenue is retained to invest in the assets.

“It does not mean any particular institutional form. So, it doesn’t mean that we need all metros or municipalities to form a corporate sort of business to deliver these services.

“Some may choose to do so through a municipal owned entity. Others might choose to do a concession or some sort of public-private partnership, [or] others would have a business unit within the municipality. There are many models that could be used, but they need to adhere to those principles.”

He added that this will also mean that services are provided more professionally with the addition of a “much stronger licensing and regulatory regime”.

Professionalisation

Musker highlighted that another priority is the standardisation and professionalisation of the appointment of senior officials in local government.

“That means ensuring that all municipal managers and CFOs [chief financial officers] meet minimum competency requirements and extending the mandate of the Public Service Commission [PSC] through the PSC Bill, which is already in Parliament, to local government, to be able to actually enforce that properly.”

This as on 18 March 2025, the National Assembly passed the PSC Bill which aims to regulate the Commission “and enhance its independence by, among others, establishing its secretariat to support its operations.”

At the time, Parliament said the bill will help position the commission to play a significant role in creating an efficient, innovative, and responsive public service.

“A key benefit of the Bill is that it will maintain and restore the PSC’s independence, like the institutions outlined in Chapter 9 of the Constitution while adhering to an agreed public administration mandate. The PSC will be recognised as a constitutional institution that reports to Parliament,” it said. 

Enhancing service delivery

Musker added that a review of the institutional structure of the local government system through an updated white paper is also in the works.

“It’s a thorough, comprehensive review of the White Paper on Local Government going back to first principles and really thinking about what a fit for purpose local government system would look like for South Africa. 

“[This is] including looking at the two-tier system of district and local municipalities, looking at the appropriate powers and functions for municipalities in different categories, [and] looking at the revenue model. 

“Taking a thorough look, given the evidence that we have since the first white paper was introduced, in reality of what municipalities are capable of and then putting forward a new model and that will be completed by this time next year,” he said.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa officially published the Review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government on 10 April with the deadline for public comments set for 30 June 2025.

The anticipated benefits of the review according to CoGTA are that it will enhance service delivery, strengthen financial management, build capacity and result in the engagement of communities.

Operation Vulindlela will also look at local government’s funding model, including the “use of conditional grants” and proposing amendments to the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).

The object of the MFMA is to secure sound and sustainable management of the fiscal and financial affairs of municipalities and municipal entities.

“All of those reforms are interrelated [and] need to be done together, again to tackle the root causes, the structural causes of local government underperformance,” Musker said.

While the document states that local government “is in a state of crisis, with 66% of municipalities in financial distress and 64 out of the 257 deemed dysfunctional,” government is cracking the whip to address the issue with the launch of the second phase.
President Ramaphosa stated that growth is the is the only way to achieve fiscal sustainability and social progress.

“That is why we will not yield in our efforts to reform this economy, to fundamentally transform it and to remove the constraints on growth. We have established significant momentum,” he said at the launch.

That momentum will aid in propelling the wheels of the economy forward. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

The second phase of Operation Vulindlela, will focus on three key reforms: tackling the legacy of spatial inequality, enhancing local government performance, and accelerating digital transformation. 

Launching the next phase of this important initiative at the Union Buildings, on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised that this new phase is aimed at driving rapid and inclusive economic growth for the benefit of all South Africans. 

“We need growth that is both rapid and inclusive. We need growth that serves the millions of people in our country who remain unemployed, and the young people who cannot see a way into the labour market. 

“And we need growth that improves people’s daily lives by fixing the infrastructure that is broken. That is why, in the next phase of Operation Vulindlela that we are launching today, we will implement reforms in three new areas,” the President said. 

He stressed that if these reforms are implemented swiftly and boldly, they will put South Africa firmly on the path of economic recovery and renewal. 

He acknowledged that the process of reform is never easy, and it is often contested, especially by those with vested interests.

“Yet we have a simple choice to make. If we do not reform our economy, it will not grow and we will not create jobs. Unemployment will rise and poverty will increase. On the other hand, if we implement these reforms – if we do so swiftly and boldly – we will place our economy on a path of growth and renewal. 

“There is a generation of South Africans that does not know what it is to live in a country that is growing. They have never experienced rising incomes, increasing jobs, thriving businesses and expanding opportunities. 

“It is our intention to ensure that every South African feels the benefits of rapid, sustained and inclusive economic growth,” he said.

The first focus area: Tackling Spatial Inequality 

The second phase will start by addressing the apartheid legacy of spatial inequality, which has forced millions of South Africans to live far from economic opportunity. 

The President noted that the country’s urban structure must be reshaped to enable citizens to live closer to where jobs and services are located. 

“The poorest South Africans spend as much as 40 percent of their income on transport to get to work, more than almost any other country in the world. Imagine you earn R10 000 and R4000 of it is spent on transport,” he said. 

He emphasised that the structure of the country’s cities has to change to enable people to access work. 

To address this, government will change housing policies to introduce demand-side subsidies for home ownership and affordable rental options, empowering people to choose where they want to live. 

“While the millions of homes that we have built since 1994 have given families shelter and dignity at an unprecedented scale, we cannot continue to build houses on the periphery of our cities and towns.”

Publicly-owned land and buildings, particularly in inner cities, will be released for affordable housing, and the backlog of title deeds for affordable housing will be cleared. 

Reforms will also simplify the titling system, making it more accessible and affordable. 

The President added that this will turn houses into an asset for poor households. It will enable these households to access credit and use this asset to advance themselves. 

Finally, a comprehensive regulatory review will be undertaken to remove barriers to low-cost housing development and encourage investment in urban centres rather than peripheral areas.

“These reforms will help turn our cities and towns into thriving centres of economic activity,” he said. 

The second focus area: Strengthening Local Government

The second area of reform during this phase of Operation Vulindlela is improving the performance of local government. 

The President highlighted that many of the country’s municipalities are unable to deliver basic services to households and businesses. 

“Operation Vulindlela has set out a clear agenda for local government reform, which starts with improving the delivery of water and electricity services through professional utilities. 

“Utilities should have the right technical skills, strong regulation and oversight, and full control of their billing and revenue functions to allow them to invest in infrastructure and maintenance,” he said. 

Another key step is strengthening local government administration.

“We will work to ensure that capable, qualified people are appointed to senior positions in municipalities, such as municipal managers and CFOs,” he said. 

This will be done by extending the mandate of the Public Service Commission to local government and taking action against municipalities that fail to comply with minimum competency standards. 

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has initiated the process to update the White Paper on Local Government, which includes a review of the institutional structure of local government. 

Finally, the National Treasury will review the local government fiscal framework, including the design of conditional grants, to ensure that the revenue of municipalities matches their responsibilities. 

The third focus area: Accelerating Digital Transformation

The third new area of focus is digital transformation. 

Last month, Cabinet approved a Digital Transformation Roadmap to drive the adoption of digital technologies in government and to build digital public infrastructure that can be used by all South Africans. 

This will include a digital identity system, rapid payments to expand financial inclusion, and enabling people to access services like applying for an ID or passport online. 

“We have established significant momentum. We have seen the green shoots of recovery. It is our responsibility to grow a flourishing crop and to ensure that all South Africans reap the benefits of its harvest,” he said. 

Successes of the first phase of Operation Vulindlela

Operation Vulindlela was established in October 2020 as a joint initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms.

It was initiated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating economic impact on the country and around the world. 

In its first phase, Operation Vulindlela focused on reforms in five key areas namely energy, logistics, telecommunications, water, and the visa system.

“The pandemic arrived just as the country was emerging from more than a decade of stagnant economic growth and rising unemployment and from the era of state capture. 

“When I addressed a joint sitting of Parliament in October 2020, I said in the aftermath of a fire, green shoots begin to emerge. The ashes enrich the soil, and new life takes root to replace what was lost. Over the past four years, we have seen the green shoots of economic reform,” the President said. 

Through far-reaching reforms in the electricity sector, government has substantially reduced the severity and frequency of load shedding, relieving a constraint on growth which had strangled the economy for years. 

These reforms have enabled private investment in energy generation, unlocking billions of Rands in new investment in renewable energy in every part of the country. 

The country has also embarked on a major reform of its ports and rail system through the Freight Logistics Roadmap.

Major successes include the opening of the rail network to competition and the invitation of private sector participation in port terminals, while ensuring that the network infrastructure remains state owned. 

The completion of the spectrum auction enabled significant investment in telecommunications infrastructure while improving network quality and reducing data costs for every South African. 

The water use license system, which once served as a barrier to investment, now works efficiently and has allowed projects in forestry, mining and other sectors to proceed. 

As of last year, the country has implemented an entirely new framework for skilled visas to attract investment and encourage businesses to establish themselves in our country and create jobs. 

“All of this progress has been made possible thanks to the cooperation and commitment of the relevant government departments, state owned enterprises, public entities and social partners.

“I commend in particular, the Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Directors-General and CEOs that have provided leadership to these efforts. Over the last four years, Operation Vulindlela has become a government-wide initiative. This is meaningful progress and it will enable higher growth in the years to come,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za