Separation of politics from the South African public service : rhetoric or reality?

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of whether senior public servants should
\nbe political or non-political when performing their duties. This debate has
\nlong been a central concern in the literature of United States of America
\nfrom the beginning of public administration, and remains so to this day. It is also
\nthe case in South Africa, especially after the ANC assumed power in 1994. The
\nANC has deployed some of its members to key public service positions with a
\nview of promoting loyalty and service delivery. This paper addresses this issue in
\nthe context of the politics-administration dichotomy. Models, which describe and
\nanalyse the relationship between politics and administration are identified. These
\nmodels are dichotomy model/depoliticized bureaucracy, politicized bureaucracy
\nmodel, model of complementarity, the British permanent model and the
\nAmerican hybrid model. This paper recognizes a need for “political appointments”
\n(politicized bureaucracy) within the public service due to a threat, real or
\nperceived, of political sabotage by disloyal incumbents of the previous dispensation.
\nAfter a threat of political sabotage diminishes the government should then
\nintroduce the complementarity model, with more emphasis on the principle of
\nmerit, which is emphasized in the British permanent model and to a certain
\nextent, the American hybrid model. State institutions supporting constitutional
\ndemocracy should act independently against corrupt public functionaries who
\nabuse “political appointments” for their own personal purposes.