Government employees will be required to sign the Public Service Charter, said Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.
Speaking at the launch of the Service Charter in Midrand, Sisulu said the charter would ensure public service was professional, effective, efficient and development-oriented.
“As Government, we are committed to creating the best working conditions to ensure public servants have the best working infrastructure. We say to our public servants, they must meet and exceed the expectations of the people,” she said.
Sisulu said the charter would serve as a guiding tool for good governance, democracy and sound working relations between the State, public servants, sectors in civil society and general citizenry.
“The charter is a statement of intent that enables service beneficiaries to understand what they can expect from the State and forms the basis of engagement between the government, citizens and organs of civil society,” Sisulu said.
She urged citizens to demand the best service and report bad service to ministers and accounting officers. “South Africans must trust us. We mean business and are committed to a new public service.”
As part of the charter a presidential remuneration commission was established to review all public servants salaries’, starting with teachers, nurses and police, as a commitment by Sisulu’s ministry to improve public servants’ working conditions.
The minister also announced plans to launch a school of governance, aimed at teaching government employees about the values of the Constitution and to improve services. She said the school would be attended by government employees at all levels.
