South Africa's Senior Civil Service : structures, roles and perspectives on change in government departments since 1994

This thesis examines the personal perspectives of senior civil servants in South Africa on the continuing changes affecting the service as part of wider national changes since the 1994 general elections. Pre-election political compromises were agreed to ensure a peaceful transition to non-racial democracy, which delayed significant civil service changes until 1999. This study has used a number of theoretical and other perspectives, particularly the concept of the "convergence" between the roles of senior civil servants and politicians in modern governments. The convergence concept has been particularly associated with the work of Aberbach et al. (1981) in their major study Bureaucrats and Politicians in Western Democracies. This concept has been a particular interest of this study. My project has also studied the possible effects of politicisation on senior civil service roles since 1994. Another major interest is representativeness (race, gender, and disability) within the civil service under the Affirmative Action laws and policies. A third theme is the use of New Public Management techniques, notably personal Performance Management Contracts for the most senior officials. All three themes present challenges and will help determine the future character of the South African senior civil service. My overall results indicate very strong support among senior officials for the Affirmative Action initiatives; the personal Performance Management Contracts for all senior officials; and overall change as perceived in their own department. I also conclude that South Africa's unique post-apartheid situation weakens any clear finding concerning the "convergence" concept associated with authors such as Aberbach et al., although their "Image IV" model may well apply

Are Africa`s elections underscored by Accountability and the social contract?

Do Africa’s elections enhance the social contract (relationship between ruler and subject)? Are they a pertinent yardstick for assessing public accountability and the social contract in Africa? In Africa, reference to ‘elections’ evokes mixed emotions because this technical and partly political psephological event engenders euphoria for the winners who experience immense relief, excitement, hope, and expect numerous spin-offs from their victory. But the losers confront sadness, uncertainty, embarrassment, fear, and repercussions of loss. This paper examines the relevance of Africa’s elections to the invisible contract between the sovereign and the subject. Highlighting the pathologies, dilemmas, and opportunities in Africa’s democratisation through elections, theoretically, the argument rests on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s and other social contract philosophers’ ideas; especially Rousseau’s idea of the “general will”. Its argument rests on a review of the extant literature; primary and secondary data on African elections; legislation; official documents and reports; election observation; and inferences from South Africa’s 2014-2015 multi-disciplinary election dispute resolution research the author conducted with Unisa’s partner institutions in the disputed Ephraim Mogale Municipality, Limpopo. It concludes that sensitivity to the social contract can assist African leaders to account to the voters thereby improving the quality of Africa’s elections through public accountability.Political Science

"Where the rubber hits the tar", assessing problems of capacity building for poverty alleviation and development: the case of a local municipality

Paper presented at the OSSREA's South African Chapter Annual Workshop, Cape Town, South Africa, 8-10 OctoberThis paper will highlight some of the numerous problems for municipalities, brought on by the re-organization of local development. This report will focus only on problems of capacity building aimed at poverty alleviation within a local municipality. In the conclusion of the paper possible solutions is examined and suggestions recommended for future research

The Limits of Democratic Governance in South Africa

Book Revie

Unethical conduct, misadministration/mismanagement in South Africa's contemporary civil service: daunting challenges to management

Paper presented at the Witwatersrand Institute of Social and Economic Research (WISER) Seminar, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 22 Ma

Men, take a stand

As we celebrate 10 years of our democracy, we cannot escape the fact that many women and children find it difficult to make sense of such celebrations because they continually face the grim reality of gender-based violence

"Please do not forget us", examining the challenges to practicable solutions and innovative service delivery practices in South Africa's rural communities

Paper delivered at the 9th International Winelands Conference, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 10-12 SeptemberThis paper gives a brief description if innovative measures of service delivery that local communities in South Africa have experienced and benefit from. It examines the challenges that they often face whenever they attempt to "catch up" with the rapid pace of developments throughout the country. The paper also examines the practical application of the term "innovative service delivery" in the context of the rural areas, especially given the often-uneasy relationships between traditional authorities and "formal" local government structures in parts of the country