A PROFESSIONAL, efficient and effective public service is key to a government’s ability to deliver on its mandate. That’s why South Africa’s constitution requires that the public service be institutionalised as a profession. Appointments must be based on merit and public servants are supposed to be honest, neutral and fair.
Such a public service is a distinctive feature of modern democracy. It means the government bureaucracy is not tied to an incumbent political party. It remains in place no matter which party is in power, and is non-partisan. Administration can continue when political power changes hands.
A professional public service optimises state efficiency by embracing meritocracy.
This means employing only the brightest, best qualified and most competent personnel, with a strong ethical orientation. It requires that civil servants perform their duties with diligence, care and empathy.
South Africa’s constitution is emphatic about this. It even establishes the Public Service Commission as the custodian of
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