There was a time when public service in South Africa was grounded in a simple but powerful promise: that the government exists to serve its people. The Batho Pele (“People First”) principles were not just policy, they were a moral compass, a commitment to dignity, accountability and responsiveness. Today, that promise feels increasingly distant.
Across the country, communities are experiencing a steady deterioration in service delivery. Water outages stretch into days. Electricity disruptions persist without clear communication or resolution. Basic municipal services, once considered non-negotiable, now feel like privileges that citizens must plead for. The troubling reality is that many South Africans no longer expect efficient service; they hope for it.
At the heart of this crisis is a growing sense of entitlement and lack of accountability within parts of the public service. Too often, public servants behave as though they are doing citizens a favour, rather than fulfilling a mandate funded by taxpayers. The very people entrusted with delivering essential services appear disconnected from the lived realities of those they serve.
One of the most concerning manifestations of this breakdown is the erosion of empathy. Service delivery is not just about systems and processes, it is about people. When a community goes days without water, it is not an inconvenience; it is a health risk, a disruption to livelihoods and a blow to human dignity. When electricity outages persist, small businesses suffer, children struggle to study and households are pushed deeper into vulnerability.
Yet, in many cases, there is little urgency or visible concern from those responsible. Job cards are marked as resolved without technicians ever setting foot on-site. Complaints are logged but not followed up. Communication is inconsistent or non-existent. The system, in many instances, has become performative, focused on ticking boxes rather than solving problems.
This is not merely a failure of infrastructure or resources. It is a failure of accountability and leadership.
Public service, at its core, is a calling. It requires competence, yes, but also commitment, humility and a genuine desire to improve people’s lives. When these values are absent, even the most well-funded systems will falter. The issue we face today goes beyond political affiliation or party lines. It speaks to a deeper challenge: the erosion of a service-oriented culture within government institutions.
So, how do we begin to address this?
First, accountability must be restored and enforced
There must be clear consequences for non-performance. Monitoring systems should not only track whether a task has been completed but whether it has been completed effectively. Independent oversight mechanisms can play a critical role in ensuring transparency and holding officials accountable.
Second, we need to reinvigorate the Batho Pele principles
These values must move from policy documents back into daily practice. This requires ongoing training, leadership reinforcement and a cultural reset within public institutions. Public servants must be reminded consistently that their role is to serve, not to be served.
Third, leadership must set the tone
Ethical, responsive leadership is essential in rebuilding trust. Leaders within government entities must model the behaviours they expect from their teams: responsiveness, integrity and empathy. Without this, any attempt at reform will remain superficial.
Fourth, technology must be leveraged to improve service delivery
Digital platforms can enhance transparency, allowing citizens to track the progress of service requests in real time. Properly implemented, these systems can reduce inefficiencies, minimise human interference and provide data that highlights areas of persistent failure.
Fifth, citizen engagement must be strengthened.
Communities should not have to beg for services, they should be able to demand them with confidence. Creating accessible channels for feedback, complaints and participation can empower citizens and ensure their voices are heard. More importantly, these channels must lead to action.
Finally, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: restoring public service delivery is not just about fixing systems, it is about restoring values. It requires a collective recommitment to the idea that governance is a public trust, not a position of power.
South Africans deserve better. They deserve a public service that works, that listens and that cares. They deserve assurance, not uncertainty that when an issue is reported, it will be resolved. They deserve a government that understands that behind every service request is a human story.
The question is not whether we can fix this system. The question is whether we have the will to do so.
Because until we do, service will remain a favour and the people of this country will continue to pay the price.
Dumisani Ngwaila is a senior communications director
South Africans deserve better. They deserve a public service that works, that listens and that cares. They deserve assurance, not uncertainty that when an issue is reported, it will be resolved. They deserve a government that understands that behind every service request is a human story
