On 6 March 2025, Yoliswa Makhasi, head of the Public Service Reform programme at the New South Institute (NSI), shared her insights in an interview on Moneyweb at Midday about the urgency of building professional, accountable institutions capable of delivering quality services to citizens.

Yoliswa mentioned in the interview the critical role of public service reform in ensuring that citizens receive the services they deserve. She stressed that, while challenges in service delivery seem to be worsening, reform is essential to address the decline and re-establish trust in public institutions. Yoliswa highlighted the importance of moving from policy to tangible action, especially in light of the Public Service Amendment Bill, passed by Parliament last year and now under review by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

Yoliswa also highlighted the need to empower capable public servants, many of whom work behind the scenes, by giving them the authority to carry out their duties free from political interference. She emphasised that public servants must be reminded of their core responsibility – to serve citizens – and that cultivating a service-oriented ethos within public institutions is paramount. 

Furthermore, she noted that ongoing engagement with public servants is crucial to understand their challenges, particularly around morale, inadequate tools, and low pay, and to work towards practical solutions.If you’re interested in this discussion, please listen to the full interview: https://www.moneyweb.co.za/moneyweb-podcasts/moneyweb-midday/drastic-steps-needed-to-save-humanity-sir-david-king/