The constitutional obligation on government to perform public administration efficiently and effectively

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Periodical article

Title:	The constitutional obligation on government to perform public administration efficiently and effectively
Author:	Van Heerden, M.
Year:	2009
Periodical:	Politeia: Journal for Political Science and Public Administration
Volume:	28
Issue:	1
Pages:	46-65
Language:	English
Geographic term:	South Africa
Subjects:	public administration constitutions social and economic rights civil servants
Abstract:	Criticism of the deplorable or complete lack of public service is constantly voiced by South African citizens. This article deals with the constitutional directives that prescribe the way in which public administration should be exercised to deliver public service efficiently and effectively to benefit the public. The inclusion in the 1993 Constitution of a comprehensive and non-racial set of entrenched fundamental rights changed the exercise of public administration. However, the government faces an enormous challenge to reshape the way public administration should be exercised. While public officials ought to adhere to the relevant constitutional directives, the findings of an empirical survey conducted among public officials in the Department of Home Affairs in July 1998 indicate that public officials do not have the necessary knowledge to implement the new democratic constitutional directives to actually reshape the way in which public administration is exercised. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract, edited]