Public Service Commission Chair Fikeni: Laws Weakened by Those Meant to Uphold Them

Somadoda Fikeni, chairperson of South Africa’s Public Service Commission (PSC), recently spoke about a troubling problem: the country has strong laws and policies, but they often fail to be put into action. He gave evidence at the Madlanga Commission, which is looking into how government departments operate and why service delivery sometimes falls short.

Fikeni described what he calls a “political economy of inefficiency.” This means that delays, weak accountability, and constant changes in leadership are not accidents but part of how some people benefit from a system that doesn’t work well. He said this problem is made worse by political interference and poor coordination between institutions.

He pointed out that South Africa has many good policies on paper, but they end up in what he called a “cemetery of best policies” because they are not implemented properly. One reason is that ministers and senior officials change frequently, making it hard to maintain consistent reform efforts.

Fikeni also raised concerns about vetting processes for public servants, saying they are often not thorough enough. He supports stronger checks, especially for frontline officials in the criminal justice system, to reduce corruption risks.

Just days before his testimony, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a new Public Service Commission Act into law. This new law strengthens the PSC by making its directives legally binding and expanding its oversight to include local government and public entities. It also creates an independent secretariat for the PSC and gives it more power to investigate and enforce accountability.

However, Fikeni and others caution that passing laws is only the first step. For real change, the government needs to ensure these laws are properly implemented, with stable leadership and enough resources. Without this, even the best policies and laws will not improve services or reduce corruption.

Fikeni’s warnings remind us that building a capable and ethical public service requires more than rules—it needs commitment to making those rules work for the people of South Africa.