​RECONFIGURATON OF GOVERNMENT

TALKING POINTS

14 June 2019

 

The New Dawn has begun.

  • In the State of the Nation Address on 16 February 2018, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa pronounced that “Growth, development and transformation depend on a strong and capable state. It is critical that the structure and size of the state is optimally suited to meet the needs of the people and ensure the most efficient allocation of public resources. We will therefore initiate a process to review the configuration, number and size of national government departments”.
  • The President also pronounced in his budget vote speech on 23 May 2018 that “A review of the size, composition and efficiency of government is being undertaken by a task team led by the Presidency”.
  • On 29 May 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the names of Members of the National Executive, Cabinet, as well as Deputy Ministers.
  • Delivering the announcement, the President committed to a process of further reforms to “promote coherence, better coordination and improved efficiency” of government.
  • The Presidency has since announced how government departments would be reconfigured in order to advance the drive for greater efficiency and effectiveness.  The changes will result in some departments being renamed, merged and others remaining separated by reporting to one Ministry.
  • Under the leadership of the Presidency, the Department of Public Service and Administration has been tasked to set up a project steering committee to ensure a smooth transition to the new structure to be completed by the end of the 2019/2020 financial year.
  • National Macro Organisation of the Government (NMOG) governance structures have been set up to support the reconfiguration process. Consultation and ongoing communications shall be undertaken with the affected departments, clients and organised labour.
  • A   National Steering Committee has also been set to include all the affected departments.  The Committee has established a series of work streams which will deal with specialised areas of work involved in a project of this size. One of the work streams is a Communication Work Stream which will ensure all the affected departments and the public are appraised on this work.

 

Work has begun to ensure a strong and capable state.

  • The reconfiguration of government, is to ensure that departments are fit for purpose and sensitive to the austerity measures driving the programmes of this sixth administration.
  • The redesign of organisational structures is limited to the realignment of macro organisational structures and excludes restructuring.
  • Affected staff will transfer to new departments with their existing conditions of service.
  • The reconfiguration of the national government in the sixth administration has seen a reduction of five departments from the fifth administration, stemming from mergers and the transfer of functions.
  • The project of reconfiguring government and the state is an ongoing process and there will be continuing review and monitoring of the work of the new departments.
  • The Proclamation formalising the proposed reconfiguration of government departments is being finalised to be gazetted in due cause.

 

Work to build a better tomorrow continues.

  • The changes to government will not impact the work of the State.  Service Delivery programmes are continuing as approved in the respective Strategic Plans and Annual Performance Plans of the departments.
  • Employees in the Public Service will continue to work to better the lives of all South Africans by embracing the theme ‘Thuma Mina’ meaning ‘Send Me’.  The reconfigured and repositioned departments will result in a more effective and efficient mode of service delivery to citizens.

 

The jobs of Public Servants remain safe.

  • We remain committed in ensuring minimal disruptions within the public service.  Public Servants will regularly be briefed on the work taking place in their respective departments.
  • The reconfiguration of government departments will at all material times respect the Public Service Act, 1994 and the collective agreement which will be concluded with unions admitted in the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC), to ensure we respect the rights of the workers.
  • In areas where there is a duplication of functions due to the mergers, affected officials will be cared for in accordance with by the PSCBC collective agreement.  The PSCBC collective agreement, once concluded will be communicated to the public service.

 

Join us on our journey of renewal.

  • We invited all the public servants to work collaboratively to ensure an effective public service.
  • Through the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council, we will engage with labour to ensure the interests of their members are protected throughout this process.
  • All affected government departments are represented on the departmental project team which has been tasked to undertake the reconfiguration of their departments.

 

We salute our dedicated Public Service

  • Public Servants are the frontline of service delivery and play a key role in addressing our developmental goals.
  • We are confident that Public Servants will continue to serve the millions of South Africans with dedication and pride.
  • We are confident that Public Servants will play a major role in ensuring that the New Dawn brings lasting change to our nation and its people.
  • The Public Service is home to thousands of committed and dedicated professionals from various disciplines.
  • Since 1994, the democratic government has relied on Public Servants to help transform and improve our country.
  • With the New Dawn we once again call on Public Servants to go the extra mile in helping to build the nation of our collective dreams.

  

We are committed to ensure that we put the people first.

  • We commit to spend public money prudently and in the best interests of our nation and our people.
  • Public office bearers are mindful of the need to spend appropriately and within given guidelines.
  • Government is taking decisive steps to cut any wasteful expenditure and ensure greater savings also through better efficiencies and economies of scale, as well as appropriate technology.
  • We are working to ensure improved accountability across all spheres of government.
  • All spending within government departments and its various entities must adhere to the Public Finance Management Act (PMFA) and the Treasury Regulations.
  • The provision of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) clearly identifies unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure that applies to government departments and entities.