22-02-2013, 10:20 AM
Cape Town – Civil servants will be expected to work harder and become more effective in serving ordinary South Africans, while giving taxpayers more value for money, President Jacob Zuma said today.
This follows Zuma’s announcement in his State of the Nation Address last week that a Presidential Remuneration Commission would be set up to review salaries of public servants.
In his reply on Thursday to the debate this week on his address, Zuma said the training of public servants will be prioritised to further improve the capacity of the state.
This he said would bring in much-needed skills and reduce the amount that the state spends on consultants.
“It is for this reason that we say if we are to pay public servants better, we want a return on our investment,†he said.
He said frontline services to South Africans would also be boosted, adding that over 300 unannounced visits were undertaken during the past years.
“Repeat visits to sites indicate that, in many cases, the monitoring has resulted in improvements,†he said.
He said a model example was that of Pearl Bhengu and Mondli Mazibuko and the staff at the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) office in Umzimkhulu in KwaZulu-Natal.
“After an unannounced visit, they acted on the findings and improved the queue management, provided chairs and a shelter for the waiting area and ensured that toilet facilities are working,†he said.
He said the monitoring of management practices in the public sector by the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation was beginning to bear fruit. He singled out that the average time to fill funded vacancies in the public sector had come down from nine months in 2010 to four months last year.
Added to this, the average time taken by the Department of Home Affairs to issue an ID book went from 150 days to about 30 days, while the average application time for a social grant also fell last year from 30 days in 2010 to 21 days, he said.
The bar-coded green ID book will be replaced by a new ID smart card in the 2013 financial year, he said.
The economy was his administration’s biggest focus, Zuma said, adding that a Grant Thornton report last week revealed that SA had maintained its position as a leading investment destination in Africa.
The report also revealed that South Africa had climbed one place to 14th position in the ranking of the 27 largest emerging economies.
Zuma said tax incentives announced in 2011 had resulted in an increase in foreign investment – including the announcement by Unilever last month that it would build an R800 million plant in Boksburg, and the opening last year of two new factories by Nestlé in Babelegi, near Pretoria.
He said it was important to rebuild confidence in the mining sector, and added that the Minister of Mineral Resources Susan Shabangu had met with stakeholders in the sector. Today, parties in the mining sector, including government, signed a framework to ensure stability in the sector.
The youth unemployment incentive schemes discussed at Nedlac would complement the National Rural Youth Service Corps (Narysec), Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Community Works Programme and programmes within the defense force, Zuma said.
Turning to education, he said the Department of Basic Education’s Annual National Assessments had revealed that the introduction of workbooks and the training of teachers in 2011 had resulted in progress of learning outcomes in lower school grades.
Zuma also highlighted South Africa’s increased life expectancy, which increased from 56 years in 2009 to 60 years in 2011. This, he said, had been praised by the World Health Organisation.
He encouraged MPs to continue debating issues around the Traditional Courts Bill following criticism that the bill was unconstitutional and that it limited women’s rights in the former homelands.
Condemning violence and abuse against women and children, he said South Africa had to nurture values such as Ubuntu and respect for one another’s rights and property.
South Africa must build on the success of last year’s National Cohesion Summit, to build better and more stable communities. To this end, the Department of Basic Education was looking at inculcating values of citizenry and ethics, he said.
The National Assembly is set to next week host a debate on violence against women.
Zuma said South Africa was a much better country today than it was in 1994, with a Constitution that extends equal rights to all.
“It has not been an easy road, as President Mandela told us in 1994. And it is a long road to the type of society we want to achieve, but we are getting there steadily,†said Zuma. – SAnews.gov.za
This follows Zuma’s announcement in his State of the Nation Address last week that a Presidential Remuneration Commission would be set up to review salaries of public servants.
In his reply on Thursday to the debate this week on his address, Zuma said the training of public servants will be prioritised to further improve the capacity of the state.
This he said would bring in much-needed skills and reduce the amount that the state spends on consultants.
“It is for this reason that we say if we are to pay public servants better, we want a return on our investment,†he said.
He said frontline services to South Africans would also be boosted, adding that over 300 unannounced visits were undertaken during the past years.
“Repeat visits to sites indicate that, in many cases, the monitoring has resulted in improvements,†he said.
He said a model example was that of Pearl Bhengu and Mondli Mazibuko and the staff at the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) office in Umzimkhulu in KwaZulu-Natal.
“After an unannounced visit, they acted on the findings and improved the queue management, provided chairs and a shelter for the waiting area and ensured that toilet facilities are working,†he said.
He said the monitoring of management practices in the public sector by the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation was beginning to bear fruit. He singled out that the average time to fill funded vacancies in the public sector had come down from nine months in 2010 to four months last year.
Added to this, the average time taken by the Department of Home Affairs to issue an ID book went from 150 days to about 30 days, while the average application time for a social grant also fell last year from 30 days in 2010 to 21 days, he said.
The bar-coded green ID book will be replaced by a new ID smart card in the 2013 financial year, he said.
The economy was his administration’s biggest focus, Zuma said, adding that a Grant Thornton report last week revealed that SA had maintained its position as a leading investment destination in Africa.
The report also revealed that South Africa had climbed one place to 14th position in the ranking of the 27 largest emerging economies.
Zuma said tax incentives announced in 2011 had resulted in an increase in foreign investment – including the announcement by Unilever last month that it would build an R800 million plant in Boksburg, and the opening last year of two new factories by Nestlé in Babelegi, near Pretoria.
He said it was important to rebuild confidence in the mining sector, and added that the Minister of Mineral Resources Susan Shabangu had met with stakeholders in the sector. Today, parties in the mining sector, including government, signed a framework to ensure stability in the sector.
The youth unemployment incentive schemes discussed at Nedlac would complement the National Rural Youth Service Corps (Narysec), Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Community Works Programme and programmes within the defense force, Zuma said.
Turning to education, he said the Department of Basic Education’s Annual National Assessments had revealed that the introduction of workbooks and the training of teachers in 2011 had resulted in progress of learning outcomes in lower school grades.
Zuma also highlighted South Africa’s increased life expectancy, which increased from 56 years in 2009 to 60 years in 2011. This, he said, had been praised by the World Health Organisation.
He encouraged MPs to continue debating issues around the Traditional Courts Bill following criticism that the bill was unconstitutional and that it limited women’s rights in the former homelands.
Condemning violence and abuse against women and children, he said South Africa had to nurture values such as Ubuntu and respect for one another’s rights and property.
South Africa must build on the success of last year’s National Cohesion Summit, to build better and more stable communities. To this end, the Department of Basic Education was looking at inculcating values of citizenry and ethics, he said.
The National Assembly is set to next week host a debate on violence against women.
Zuma said South Africa was a much better country today than it was in 1994, with a Constitution that extends equal rights to all.
“It has not been an easy road, as President Mandela told us in 1994. And it is a long road to the type of society we want to achieve, but we are getting there steadily,†said Zuma. – SAnews.gov.za