DURBAN – 29 September 2026: The Executive Director of the South African Legislative Sector in Parliament, Ms Yolisa Makhasi, today chaired a high-level panel discussion on accountability and service delivery on the third day of the 25th South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) conference.
Opening the floor for the panel’s inputs, Ms Makhasi urged the public sector to embrace a paradigm shift, moving away from treating accountability as a mere compliance exercise toward fostering a proactive culture of service delivery that meets citizens’ expectations. She emphasized that to improve the quality of life for South Africans, accountability and service delivery must be deeply integrated into the country’s good governance and development ecosystem, rather than treated as a bureaucratic obligation.
The distinguished panel featured:
- Ms Pinky Kekana, Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration
- Mr Risenga Maluleke, Statistician-General
- Mr Godfrey Mashamba, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
- Professor Lucky Mathebula, Political Analyst and Commentator
- Ms Alice Muller, representing the Auditor-General
- Mr Niels van der Merwe, representing the Office of the Public Protector (joined virtually).
While the panellists agreed that progress has been made to strengthen public accountability, they acknowledged that significant work remains to build a truly capable, professional, and responsive public sector. The panel concluded that these improvements are vital to transforming the lived experiences of citizens and restoring public trust in state institutions.
In closing, Ms Makhasi urged delegates to identify one measurable change they wish to see in the relationship between accountability and service delivery, and the role they will play in achieving it. She further encouraged delegates to return to future conferences ready to share the progress and impact of their contributions.
The annual SAAPAM conference brings together public sector leaders, academics, politicians, researchers, and civil society activists. The week-long event provides a collaborative platform to bridge the gaps between research outcomes, public policy, and the practical implementation of service delivery programmes.
The conference, which commenced on 27 September and concludes on 3 October, features at least 18 panel discussions aimed at aligning academic research with governance efforts to realise the constitutional ideals of South Africa and a better life.
Issued by the Legislative Sector Support Division of the RSA Parliament
Enquiries: Ms Yoliswa Makhasi, Executive Director: Legislative Sector Support (LSS)
(Contact Manelisi Wolela for facilitating the interviews)
Credit: Department of Performance Evaluation and Monitoring (DPME)