The New South Institute (NSI) launched its inaugural residential workshop on Public Service and Administration at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) on 9–10 September, hosting members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee. 

Led by NSI’s Co-Founder and Director Ivor Chipkin and Yoliswa Makhasi, the two-day workshop was the first of its kind, going in-depth into a reform process that seeks to modernise and professionalise government.

At the centre of this reform is the Public Service Amendment Bill, currently under consideration. “South Africa cannot afford a public service weakened by politicisation and poor capability. This workshop provides practical tools to strengthen oversight, deepen professionalism, and make governance work better for citizens”, said Chipkin. 

The workshop builds on the NSI’s long-standing contribution to public service reform. In July 2024, Chipkin was invited to deliver an orientation briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration. His analysis emphasised both the challenges and opportunities facing South Africa’s state institutions, and it highlighted the urgency of professionalising the public service to curb political interference and improve capability. This new training programme represents a continuation of that engagement, turning analysis into capacity-building for those tasked with overseeing reform. 

The NSI has long been at the forefront of public service reform. With the Public Service Amendment Bill, NSI has actively participated in provincial hearings earlier this year, presenting evidence-based submissions to articulate our position. 

This Bill has the potential to ease many of the contemporary challenges facing government in South Africa, including the appointment of public administrators and the effective organisation of administration within a democracy. 

Drawing on the ideas of Woodrow Wilson, the NSI presentation on Tuesday discussed in depth the distinctions between public administration and institution building. It raised fundamental questions: What needs to be done, and how must it be done? 

Reflecting on South Africa’s journey, Ivor Chipkin argued that the passing of the Public Service Amendment Bill provides an opportunity to undo the mistakes of the past decade in public administration, while charting a path to get things right. He highlighted the importance of drawing a broad distinction between the “what” and the “how” of government, the what being defined by politics, and the how being the domain of administrators. 

This distinction lies at the heart of the Bill, which has been developed through collective ideas and wide consultation.

Participants at the workshop, through a carefully designed curriculum, came to appreciate how this reform will hold institutions to account. These reforms institutionally distinguishing between party and state. 

Committee members also raised the everyday challenges facing South Africa’s public service, from schools to clinics and hospitals, and the impact these have on service delivery. There was broad consensus: much is at stake for South Africans. This is a revolutionary moment, one that provides the opportunity to finally get things right. 

Countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, and China are examples of states that have built strong, autonomous institutions to support development. Within Africa, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Kenya are beginning to leave South Africa behind by implementing similar reforms. 

Some of the most practical discussions at the workshop centred on: 

• Strengthening institutions such as the National School of Government, in order to raise the standard of professional training. 

• Empowering statutory authorities with recruitment powers, ensuring merit-based appointments. 

• Putting in place the building blocks for historic transformation in the public service. 

These reforms are essential for enabling government institutions to function effectively and deliver public services that citizens can rely on. 

Members of the Portfolio Committee left the workshop better equipped to make informed party positions as part of the legislative process. Accountability, however, extends beyond Parliament. 

Yoliswa Makhasi, Head of Public Service Reform at NSI and former Director-General of the Department of Public Service and Administration, closed the workshop with stories from her own experiences of many years in government.