This dissertation focused on the nature of political control over the bureaucracy with reference to the Northern Province (1994-1998). Bureaucracies are controlled in various ways. Mechanisms aimed at ensuring public accountability towards ministers, national assemblies, the courts or ombudsmen may be instituted. The civil service may become politicised, so that it shares the ideological enthusiasm of the government of the day. Counter-bureaucracies may be formed to create an alternative advisory service and to strengthen the hand of elected politicians. Should the bureaucracy be subjected to political control? The reality of 'government by officials' may function behind the facade of representative and democratic accountability, which is the precise reason why control over bureaucratic power is one of the most urgent problems in modern politics and public administration and why no political/administrative system has found an easy solution to this problem yet. It is against this background that answers can be found to the question of whether the bureaucracy should be subject to political control and how such control should be exercised. Research questions which could herald possible solutions to the problem, were pursued. The study describes, analyses, and evaluates political control over the bureaucracy as an integral part of public adminstration and an essential ingredient of representative democracy. The dissertation also investigated the difference between the variables of the political and the administrative systems state-related structures and institutions and the ideological grounding of state-related concepts that influence the milieu of political control over the bureaucracy. Among others, the study determined the nature of the bureaucracy, provided a picture of how bureaucracies function, and described the factors and institutions that influence the interaction between the political and the administrative systems in terms of political control. / Public Administration / M.P.A. (Public Administration)

Thesis (MPA (Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The provision of Public Administration education and training has been under the spotlight by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) since the early 1990’s and has received further prominence by the South African government in recent years. The 1994 democratic elections has brought about challenges and opportunities for educational and training institutions, among others, to reflect on their programme content, methodology and clientele and to gear themselves towards the needs of a “developmental state”. In response to these challenges and opportunities, South African HEIs of various types and sizes have attempted to introduce or reform Public Administration education and training programmes to both fit into the new political dispensation and help transform its public service. However, the emergence of these new education and training programmes have not been without difficulties. Notable efforts have been the emergence of schools of governments or public management at various tertiary institutions all of which purport to educate and train public officials for a democratic service. The euphoria that accompanied the institutional reforms might suggest that all is well, but the reality records that not all programmes have lived to their ideals. In the light of the above context, this study focuses on the School of Government (SOG), University of the Western Cape (UWC). The school has been selected due to its formal commitment to the provision of public service education and training for the post-apartheid civil service. The study focuses on the role of the school, its leadership, structure, content and processes of education and training programmes for the public service in the country. The study explores the broad global and national role of HEIs in general, and their particular role in the provision of Public Administration education and training. The study traces the global and national debates with respect to how public servants ought to be educated and trained, and illustrates the Public Administration education and training challenges faced in South Africa. The study also explores the legislative and policy framework governing HEIs and public sector education and training in South Africa. The evaluation of the UWC School of Government is based on the adaptation of the IASIA/UNDESA Standards of Excellence model to measure the role and performance of the case. The case study is measured through the application of institutional and programmatic criteria. In addition to the institutional criteria, the programme criteria focuses on the SOG’s programme development and review processes, its programme content, programme management and administration, and the performance of its programmes. The analysis of the case study is preceded by a historiography and background of the SOG and its education and training programmes. A critical analysis of the case study is undertaken in relation to the institutional and programmatic criteria mentioned above. Based on the findings of the study, the thesis concludes with recommendations relevant to the case study and provides more general recommendations applicable to institutions involved in the provision of Public Administration education and training. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die voorsiening van Publieke Administrasie onderrig en opleiding is onder die vegrootglas by hoër onderwys instellings (HOIs) sedert die vroeë 1990’s en het in onlangse jare verdere prominensie verkry by die Suid Afrikaanse regering. Die 1994 demokratiese verkiesing het uitdagings en geleenthede vir onderrig en opleiding instellings teweeg gebring om, onder andere, te besin oor programinhoud, metodologie en kliëntebasis en om hulself in rat te kry vir die behoeftes van die ontwikkelingstaat. In reaksie op hierdie uitdagings en geleenthede poog Suid Afrikaanse HOIs van verskillende tipes en groottes om Publieke Administrasie onderrig en opleidings programme in te stel of te hervorm sodat dit by die nuwe politieke bedeling inpas en help om die publieke diens te transformeer. Die ontwikkeling van nuwe onderrig en opleidings programme sou egter nie sonder sy eiesoortige probleme wees nie. Die ontstaan van Skole vir Openbare Bestuur (SOB) by verskeie tersiêre instellings was aan die orde van die dag en kort voor lank was voormelde instellings almal daarop uit om staatsamptenare vir ‘n demokratiese staatsdiens op te lei. Die euforie wat met hervorming gepaard gegaan het, sou die skyn wek dat alles goed en wel is, maar die realiteit toon dat nie alle programme aan die ideale wat gestel is voldoen het nie. In die lig van voormelde, fokus hierdie studie op die Skool vir Openbare Regering (SOR) aan die Universiteit van Wes-Kaap (UWK). Die SOR is gekies vanweë sy formele toewyding tot die onderrig en opleiding van studente vir die publieke sektor in post-Apartheid Suid-Afrika. Voorts sal die ondersoek fokus op die rol van die Skool, leierskap struktuur, onderriginhoud asook programprosesse vir onderrig en opleiding in die openbare sektor. Die studie ondersoek die globale en nasionale rol wat HOI’s in die algemeen speel en in besonder die voorsiening van onderrig en opleiding in Publieke Administrasie. Verder volg die studie die globale en nasionale diskoerse oor hoe staatsamptenare opgelei en onderrig behoort te word en illustreer, aan die hand hiervan, die uitdagings waarmee die onderrig en opleiding van Publieke Administrasie in Suid-Afrika te kampe het. Die studie ondersoek ook die wetlike en beleidsraamwerk waarbinne HOI’s en die publieke sektor in Suid-Afrika gereguleer word. Die SOR aan die UWK word dan geevalueer aan die hand van die IASIA/UNDESA Model van Standaarde van Uitsonderlikheid wat ook die rol en vordering in die gevallestudie meet. Meting van gevallestudie geskied met behulp van die toepassing van institutionele en programmatiese kriteria. Addisioneel tot die institutionele en programkriteria word daar ook gefokus op; programontwikkeling en hersieningsprosesse, programinhoud, programbestuur en administrasie en program vordering binne die SOR. Ontleding van die gevallestudie word voorafgegaan deur ‘n historiese oorsig en agtergrond van die SOR; en sy onderrig en opleidingsprogramme. In verhouding tot sy institutionele en programmatieka kriteria, soos vermeld, word die studie onderwerp aan kritiese ontleding en ondersoek. Gebaseer op die bevindings van die ondersoek, maak die tesis direk-verwante aanbevelings asook algemene aanbevelings gerig op instellings in die breë wat betrokke is by die onderrig en opleiding van Publieke Administrasie.

This dissertation focused on the nature of political control over the bureaucracy with reference to the Northern Province (1994-1998). Bureaucracies are controlled in various ways. Mechanisms aimed at ensuring public accountability towards ministers, national assemblies, the courts or ombudsmen may be instituted. The civil service may become politicised, so that it shares the ideological enthusiasm of the government of the day. Counter-bureaucracies may be formed to create an alternative advisory service and to strengthen the hand of elected politicians. Should the bureaucracy be subjected to political control? The reality of 'government by officials' may function behind the facade of representative and democratic accountability, which is the precise reason why control over bureaucratic power is one of the most urgent problems in modern politics and public administration and why no political/administrative system has found an easy solution to this problem yet. It is against this background that answers can be found to the question of whether the bureaucracy should be subject to political control and how such control should be exercised. Research questions which could herald possible solutions to the problem, were pursued. The study describes, analyses, and evaluates political control over the bureaucracy as an integral part of public adminstration and an essential ingredient of representative democracy. The dissertation also investigated the difference between the variables of the political and the administrative systems state-related structures and institutions and the ideological grounding of state-related concepts that influence the milieu of political control over the bureaucracy. Among others, the study determined the nature of the bureaucracy, provided a picture of how bureaucracies function, and described the factors and institutions that influence the interaction between the political and the administrative systems in terms of political control. / Public Administration and Management / M.P.A. (Public Administration)

Enos John Nganani Mabuza's life and work is used as a case study to highlight the conceptual and methodological theories and challenges in academic biographical writing regarding history, memory and legacies. This thesis answers the question: Who was Mabuza and what is his place or relevance in South Africa's history? We over-simplify and stereotype people because it is convenient. We judge others but there is no saint without a past or a sinner without a future. Mabuza reconciled with the main liberation movements and moved from a maligned position on the political fringes to a respectable one within the emerging black economic elite. History, like reference systems and values is not calcified or static. It is prone to interpretation, adaptation, modification, invention, manipulation, decomposition and re-composition. Bourdieu's habitus-field analysis, theory or logic of practice, notions of capital (symbolic, political, social, cultural and economic) is used together with Latour's actor-network theory as the basis of analysis of the social contracts and trust bonds that Mabuza was able to create and which enabled him to navigate South Africa's socio-political and economic milieus during apartheid and the transition in the early 1990s. As people or actors, we believe in the mantra, nothing ventured, nothing gained. We exercise agency and take risks every day. We make choices and those choices have consequences. Mabuza's choices in the fields of education, politics and business had implications for how he is perceived or has been written into history. His choices put notions of identity, citizenship, power, legitimacy, ambition, elite accommodation, class, personal and professional networks, popular struggles, agency and structure under the spotlight. Mabuza's involvement in Bantustan politics, for instance, is contextualised in terms of a historical overview of the unpopular role played by traditional authorities in South Africa before and during colonialism and apartheid. His later foray into the world of business, however, was facilitated in part, by the personal and professional contacts that he made whilst he was in politics and the opportunities which opened up during the country's political transition. Mabuza adapted to changing circumstances and demonstrated a level of versatility which other Bantustan functionaries did not or could not exercise.