President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday said South Africa “is not a dysfunctional state” and that he has prioritised “the building of a capable state to cater for the needs of the citizenry – a task that cannot be done overnight.”
Ramaphosa said this as his country faces tough social and economic ills that include a high rate of unemployment, a shrinking economy and failing state-owned firms like power supplier Eskom and the flag carrier South African Airways (SAA) which are on the brink of collapse following years of neglect and mismanagement – including corruption.
Speaking in his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa pledged that his government would restore the “good health” of these state-owned enterprises to provide the nation with reliable service delivery.
The president acknowledged that parastatals that fail to deliver services like Eskom and SAA had diminished the capacity of the entire state, making Pretoria appear dysfunctional.
“A capable state starts with the people who work in it. Officials and managers must possess the right financial and technical skills and other expertise,” Ramaphosa said.
He said his government is “committed to end the practice of poorly qualified individuals being parachuted into positions of authority through political patronage.”
“And there should be consequences for all those in the public service who do not do their work,” Ramaphosa said, adding that some public servants keep neglecting their responsibilities of running the state firms properly.
NM/jn/APA