Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
Public Service and Administration Minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi has launched the Integrated Public Service Month, with a strong message that professionalising the public service is a constitutional and developmental imperative that is a non-negotiable. “We will build a workforce that is defined by competence, ethics and accountability as mediocrity has no place in this vision,” Buthelezi said at the media launch of the IPSM, in Pretoria on Tuesday. “We will be transparent about progress, honest about setbacks and be visible in our communities.”
Buthelezi said every citizen must feel the tangible difference of a responsive and ethical state. “We will also hold ourselves accountable through clear indicators like improved service satisfaction, reduced corruption and strengthened ethics as well as increased citizen engagement,” the Minister said.
As part of the IPSM, members of Executive, including Ministers, the President and the Deputy President, as well as senior officials, will conduct unannounced oversight visits in priority districts where services are failing to unblock bottlenecks. “These visits will inform planning, budgeting and resource allocation,” the Minister said.
He also reminded public servants that they are there to serve and not to be served.
“We are the face of a new public service – one that is professional, ethical and responsive. And we must carry this responsibility with pride. To our partners, join us in a holistic society approach to restoring dignity through service.” In her welcoming remarks, Public Service and Administration Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana said the launch of IPSM is not merely a ceremony, but a pledge to South Africans that people are at the heart of everything that government does.
“This year’s theme, ‘Professionalising the Public Service to Build Trust and Restore Confidence in Government’, speaks to the urgent question of can citizens trust their government to listen, respond and deliver,” she said. Kekana said the IPSM has been repositioned as a year-round platform of action, a platform for reform, aligned with the Medium-Term Development Plan (2024–2029). She also called on public servants to be professional and ethical.
“Colleagues, professionalism is not about hierarchy. It is about making a real difference in people’s lives,” Kekana said. The IPSM 2025 programme aims to transform the government-citizen relationship through a sustainable system focused on efficient, respectful and accountable service delivery. Key initiatives include an Executive Service Delivery Blitz and Public Service Charter Dialogues, empowering citizens to shape service standards.
“For far too long, our people have endured the indignity of long queues, broken promises and crumbling infrastructure,” Buthelezi said. The Minister said the launch is not a ceremonial event but a strategic call to action, especially in the current era, where the voices of the citizens are amplified through multiple platforms. “IPSM 2025 is therefore our turning point. It is a contract between government and citizens to deliver services that dignify, empower and uplift, especially the most vulnerable in our society.”
He further added that IPSM is South Africa’s practical expression of the values championed by the African Public Service Day (APSD). “As directed by Cabinet in August 2024, the 2025-2026 IPSM Implementation Framework marks a decisive shift as it is no longer a once-off event but now a year-round platform for reform and the improvement of service delivery.” the Minister said.
