In his weekly “From the Desk of the President” newsletter on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa used the start of Public Service Month to praise the dedication of South Africa’s 1.7 million public servants while acknowledging “skills gaps, outdated systems, inconsistent service delivery, and corruption” that undermine government performance.

He said reforms now under way aim to “attract the right skills, implement rigorous performance management, and create career pathways that reward merit and excellence”. Training through the National School of Government, he added, is central to restoring Batho Pele’s ethos of putting citizens first.

Linking the overhaul to the National Dialogue launched in August, Ramaphosa urged communities to work with ward councillors, municipal officials, civic groups, and national departments on practical plans to fix local problems such as power cuts, overcrowded schools, and rising crime. Thousands of dialogues will culminate in a National Convention next year to anchor a new social compact.

He cast the initiative as an extension of the District Development Model that seeks to align local priorities with service-delivery budgets, saying public servants “have a vital role to play” in co-creating solutions with citizens. “Hold government accountable, engage constructively with public institutions, and recognise the vital role that a professional public service plays in building the society we all want,” the president wrote.

“Together, we can build a public service that serves with excellence and integrity and works with South Africans to realise the promise of a better life for all.”