Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana: Public Service and Administration Dept Budget Vote 2025/26

• Honourable House Chairperson,
• Minister for the Public Service and Administration: Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi,
• Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
• Honourable Members of Parliament
• Chairpersons of entities
• Directors General
• Ladies and Gentlemen,
• Fellow South Africans,

I stand before you today as Deputy Minister of the Department of Public Service and Administration, a proud ANC cadre within our Government of National Unity, to reaffirm our solemn pledge: government must deliver for its people.

As President Cyril Ramaphosa reminded us in his State of the Nation Address,

“A capable and professional public service lies at the heart of our democracy; it is the engine of growth, the guarantor of stability, and the custodian of the people’s trust.”

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter, adopted in Kliptown in June 1955. Its words still guide us after 7 decades: “There shall be housing, security and comfort. The doors of learning and culture shall be opened.”

These twin imperatives: to shelter our people and to expand opportunity, animate every reform we pursue.

They compel us to turn heroic aspiration into daily reality for millions. As our Honourable Minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi has emphasised, “These are not cosmetic tweaks. They are the scaffolding on which a professional, ethical public service will rise.”

Honourable Members,

Through these laws, we will cement a meritocratic culture, and give citizens clear routes to demand service.

Our people on the frontline carry a continuously growing burden. Over the past decade, South Africa’s population rose from 54 million to 62 million, yet our public servant headcount has remained at roughly 1.2 million. As a result, the ratio of citizens to public servants has climbed from 45 to 1 to over 51 to 1—a crushing workload that impacts the quality of service delivery.

To alleviate these pressures, we reaffirm our commitment, as the DPSA, to support our workforce across three pillars:

1. Housing: Government Employees Housing Scheme (GEHS)

• Beneficiaries grew from 352 103 in 2015 to 824 878 by March 2025
• Housing allowance increased from R900 to R1900 by March 2025.
• Yet, 174 967 employees are eligible to receive the housing allowance, are still not receiving it

2. Health: Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS)

• GEMS remains the largest medical scheme in the country, covering 880 563 members and 2 394 094 beneficiaries (end 2024).
• GEMS' chronic care benefits and Disease Management Programmes support public service employees to improve their physical and mental health. GEMS has dedicated a lot of effort to reduce co-payments when members seek health services, and the trend is positive.
• GEMS is in the process of enhancing the existing Health and Wellness Programme that supports the Public Service Employees with amongst others, counselling, screening and preventative care services.

3. Innovation: Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI)

• CPSI’s Annual Innovation Awards have identified over 60 scalable projects—from solar powered schools in Limpopo to mobile clinic triage in the Western Cape, and more
• On 14 April 2025, we launched Project Africa First, a public private partnership co-steered by DPSA and the National Department of Health, in response to President Ramaphosa’s call for localised manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, in his role as the African Union’s Pandemic Preparedness Response Champion, for both increased access to healthcare for the continent, but also growing our national economy through intra-Africa trade optimisation under the AfCFTA

President Ramaphosa has said that “innovation in the public service is not a luxury, but a necessity if we are to serve 62 million people efficiently”.

Honourable Chairperson,

Our colleagues face more than long hours and increased workloads, they face rising extended family obligations, escalating living costs, and mounting personal debt creating severe stress. Government may be the single largest employer in the country, but it MUST also be an employer of choice.

In Youth Month, every year we honour the youth of 1976, whose outrage at injustice launched a movement under the ANC banner. As part of Government efforts on youth employment, the DPSA is focused on ensuring departmental internship and learnership targets are met for 2025/26.

As we move from Youth month and into Mandela month, the world’s most iconic public servant, Tata Madiba famously reminds us who we are as South Africans, when he stood a few meters away on the steps of the Cape Town City Hall on the day of his release, and said,

“I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all. I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.”

As a public servant, it is in OUR hands to make it a better country for our people.

Honourable Members,

The DPSA in holding the mandate for “State capacity to deliver”, we are responsible and accountable for Batho Pele in Action.

This year I joined our officials on outreach initiatives across the country, working with GEMS, Alexander Forbes, and other stakeholders. Together we:

• Distributed 1 500 school uniform packages
• Initiated the delivery of 200 laptops to educators for SA SAMS
• Under the SAFE programme installed 2 10 000 ℓ water tanks
• Donations of medical equipment to public hospitals and Tutuzela centres

Honourable Chairperson,

Earlier this year, President Ramaphosa announced the National Dialogue, a platform for co-creation of solutions to our greatest challenges, as a nation.

The DPSA leads the public service pillar of the Dialogue, convening focus groups with front line workers, union representatives, and departmental leaders to surface real-time challenges and innovative ideas.

We publish quarterly Dialogue progress reports, including action plans, timelines and responsible units, ensuring that the National Dialogue does not become yet another talk shop but a catalyst for change.

It is well known that the DPSA measures progress rigorously through:

• Continuous performance reviews including APP’s with scrutiny of outcomes;
• Quarterly public dashboards on GEHS enrolments, GEMS uptake, CPSI innovations, National Dialogue inputs, and outreach milestones;
• Building Whistle Blower capacity and Anti-Corruption activities across national and provincial departments.

In closing,

On this 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter, our people’s blueprint for a just society, to build a public service that works for every South African. Guided by both ANC values and our GNU mandate, we will legislate wisely, support our people fully, convene inclusively through the National Dialogue, delivering daily.

Let us remember: “Service is our highest calling.” Together, we shall meet that calling with integrity, compassion, and unwavering resolve. I thank you.

#ServiceDeliveryZA