As the country adjusts to the new Government of National Unity (GNU), the Head of the Wits School of Governance, Adjunct Professor Themba Maseko, remains optimistic about the GNU’s potential to enhance service delivery in South Africa.
In an interview with Public Sector Manager magazine, he noted that government has achieved considerable progress in the past 30 years, particularly in increasing access to electricity, housing, free education and healthcare, especially to the most disadvantaged.
However, Maseko is of the view that government often falls short in delivering quality services to citizens, mainly due to maladministration and corruption.
He believes that the GNU presents more opportunities to improve governance because it brings together politicians from different political parties, who can hold each other accountable.
It also gives Parliament a chance to become a genuine platform for debate and accountability, as the parties outside the GNU will be able to hold those within it accountable.
“In the past, with the majority rule government, people who come from the same political party were in the legislature and in the executive, and there was no accountability taking place. Now with the differences in the parties, I think we may just see some improvement in the level of accountability. Politicians or Ministers are going to feel the need to demonstrate the delivery of services,” he said.
A stronger public service
Maseko believes that the GNU presents an opportunity for the country to build a strong, independent and professional public service faster than ever before.
To help support this goal, the Wits School of Governance has introduced the New Executive Course: Public Leadership and Governance – a bridging programme aimed at individuals who have long been employed in the public service but may lack formal qualifications, as well as those looking to advance their studies.
Upon successfully completing the programme and achieving the required marks, candidate will qualify for admission into Wits academic programmes. This initiative is set to be a game changer for the institution, as it will give open doors for more people to pursue post-graduate studies.
“Our objective is to broaden access to some of our programmes in order to address the challenge of exclusive entry requirements which affect the majority of potential students who can study in our institution,” said Maseko.
He revealed that the Department of Higher Education and Training is leading a new policy initative that encourages Wits University to explore the recognition of prior learning. This will assist individuals with substantial work experience and those who hold leadership roles, but without formal qualifications, by acknowledging their professional achievements in the admissions process.
“Such people will be required to provide us with a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates the role that they played as leaders, researchers or policymakers, and a committee from our school will then look at the submissions and identify those who qualify so that they can enroll for certain courses,” he explained.
Partnering with the NSG
The Wits School of Governance has established a Memorandum of Understanding with the National School of Government (NSG) – to develop and launch joint programmes aimed at improving the capacity of the State, not only in South Africa but the rest of the continent.
“We have run few winter schools for programmes that speaks to economic development, and we brought Ministers and Directors-General from South Africa and few African countries for one week. This programme has been going on for about a year.
“We are now at a point where we need to expand the agreement with the NSG so that we focus on programmes that will be targeted to support senior leaders in government,” he added.
Maseko urged public servants to transform the Public Service into an aspirational sector – one that attracts students and is characterised by high competence and improved service delivery.
He stated that the Wits School of Governance is focused on fostering an ethical culture among public servants. He also encouraged individuals to not only reject involvement in corruption but to also actively expose it.
Maseko defines a public servant as someone who is dedicated to serving society and works in government not for personal gain but to be of service to all citizens, regardless of their race, age, religion or ideology.
“It is somebody who serves with absolute integrity and utter commitment to improve the lives of others. I think there is no reason for public servants to be demoralised. The country is going through a difficult but very interesting phase with a promise for improvement.
“When citizens begin to hold leaders accountable, the leaders will have to respond by ensuring that government focuses on delivering quality services to citizens. I think that government will not be able to perform its function unless every public servant commits to serving citizens, being ethical and hard-working,” he said.
He noted that as the country moves towards professionalising the Public Service, citizens can expect to see improvements. The country needs to find a way of insulating the Public Service from political upheavals to ensure it is effectively professionalised and well managed.
As the Head of the Wits School of Governance, Maseko wants the university to lead all conversations about transformation of society, the continent and the globe.
Part of the solution
Maseko’s role at the Wits School of Governance allows him to contribute directly to solutions for state challenges. He joined the University in 2022, leading the Executive Education Programme, which is meant to strengthen state capacity by providing training for officials and policymakers from local, provincial and national departments.
He was appointed to his current role this year, marking a full-circle moment for him. He obtained his law degree from Wits University and started his career at the institution as a student activist, which led him to hold various leadership positions in youth organisation structures and civil society groups across the country.
He also holds Master of Business Administration Degree from De Montfort University and a prestigious Senior Executive Programme. In 1994, Maseko was a Member of Parliament. He joined the Public Service the following year, when he became the founding Superintendent-General of the Gauteng Department of Education.
He also held various positions in the private and public sectors, including being the Managing Director at the Damelin Education Group, Director-General for the then Department of Public Works, Department of Public Service and Administration, Chief Executive Officer of the Government Communications and Information System and Cabinet Spokesperson, and a consultant.
He currently also serves as Chairperson of Corruption Watch, a member of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution and a Trustee at the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
*This article first appeared in PSM Magazine
