An enabling and sustainable framework for leadership and governance in Africa

Abstract EN

his paper examines the draft African Public Service Charter (henceforth, APSC) and its gradual evolvement into a crystal thematic area within the overall framework of the Pan African Conference of African Ministers for Public/Civil Service.

The paper argues that the case for the adoption of this charter is in recognition of the need for principles and codes to establish normative prescripts for the practices that shape a public administration system.

A key motivation for such a charter is to acknowledge the fact that the transformation of the African public service is a prerequisite for state improvement and state capability.

The paper explains the key elements of the APSC, which is central to efforts to build integrity systems within the public service.

Fundamentally, the paper makes a case for South Africa to adopt the ratified APSC to create sustainable enabling policy framework for the changing face of leadership and governance nationally.

The paper concludes that a professional and effective public service is critical for the changing face of governance in a democratic society.

It argues that leaders must be able to implement innovative interventions that offer sustainable solutions.

Here, South Africa is not exempted and hence must embrace the tenets of the proposed APSC to add to the arsenal of its public service transformation tools.

The methodology adopted by the authors is essentially an analysis of the APSC based on careful review of the charter and literature on the African public service.

The paper’s outline is as follows: First, it examines the case for an enabling framework for Africa.

Second, it outlines the relevant background information on the APSC.

Third, it gives the contextual orientation; fourth, the salient features of the APSC including its relevance are discussed.

Finally, the APSC’s relevance to South Africa specifically is examined.

The authors conclude that the APSC is an innovative continental framework that will enhance transformative processes continentally