The negotiation process in South Africa did, by 1993, lead to change in inputs in
policy-making, and led to change in political relations with specific reference to
norms of equality and respect for human rights. Significantly, these changes
imposed obligations on the public service on issues of transformation, amongst
others: service delivery, restructuring, democratisation of the policy-making
process, and representativity and equity. This study was undertaken to examine
the latter two namely, to determine the policy-making mechanisms by which the
public service seeks to legitimise the policy-making process by involving a wider
populace in participation; and to examine legislation that exists on representativity
and equity and their consequent implementation.
In support of the empirical research, use and analysis of a theoretical study of
public policy in Public Administration were undertaken. The analysis showed that
the theoretical distinction in the roles of political office-bearers and appointed
public officials in the policy-making process, was incorrect. Rather, the empirical
study supported a close co-operation of the functionaries in the process, including
implementation. Further, it was found that the various models for analysing public
policy had all been applicable at different periods in the South African political
system.
For the purpose of this study, the hypotheses are formulated that the new political
dispensation that ushered South Africa into a popular constitutional democracy
impacted on the functioning of the public service, amongst others:
• an obligation to involve a wider population in the policy-making process to
achieve legitimacy; and
• an obligation to enforce norms of representativity and equity through legislation
and the implementation thereof.
In the study of the policy-making process, it was empirically established that the
public service does possess comprehensive mechanisms to engage the wider populace in consultation and negotiation on public policy-making. Yet, public
participation was found to be thin. Further, it was established that elaborate
legislation exists to change the demographic face of the public setvice, and there
is progress on implementation of representativity and equity legislation with
reference to target quotas, time frames and the control thereof. Proposals for
further study on effects of change, are made. / Public Administration and Management / D. Litt et Phil (Public Administration)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/16645 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Ababio, Ernest Peprah |
| Contributors | Van der Westhuizen, E. J., Theunissen, C. A. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (xiii, 299 leaves) |
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