Latest news with #serviceDelivery
Zawya
17 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Jordan: Citizen satisfaction with gov't service centres reaches 95.5% — Ministry
AMMAN — Citizen satisfaction with the ease of procedures and overall experience at government service centres reached 95.5 per cent, according to the results of a comprehensive survey conducted by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship during the first quarter of this year. The survey, aimed at measuring key performance indicators and the quality of government services, revealed significant progress in service delivery across centres nationwide, according to a ministry statement. Ministry's Secretary General Samira Zoubi said the findings reflect noticeable improvements in the performance of service centres, as well as enhanced user experience and more streamlined procedures. 'These results are a clear sign that our efforts to place the citizen at the core of development policies are bearing fruit,' Zoubi said, adding that the ministry remains committed to delivering efficient, seamless services within an integrated and accessible environment that meets citizens' evolving needs and expectations. Zoubi noted that other performance indicators also showed high levels of satisfaction. The overall service quality index reached 91.7 per cent, while the Net Promoter Score (NPS), measuring citizens' likelihood to recommend services to others, stood at 85.6 per cent, indicating growing public trust in government services. She emphasised that these positive outcomes highlight the success of the ministry's collaborative approach with various government institutions, aimed at building citizen confidence in public services. She also stressed that citizen feedback remains central to the continuous development and long-term improvement of service quality. The announcement follows the release of results from the citizen satisfaction survey, which targeted visitors to government service centres across all governorates. The survey assessed multiple aspects of performance and user experience, in line with the ministry's broader efforts to drive digital transformation and enhance the efficiency of public services. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
The Herald
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Cape Town mayor takes Ramaphosa and government to ConCourt
City of Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill Lewis has approached the Constitutional Court challenging government and President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Public Procurement Act which he claims will slow down service delivery and undermine the constitutional autonomy of local government. Hill-Lewis said the challenge in the apex court points out problems which render parliament's adoption of the bill unlawful. The bill was enacted in July 2024 with the Presidency announcing it complies with the stipulation in the constitution that 'contracting of goods and services by organs of state in all spheres of government must occur in accordance with a system which is fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective'. The Presidency at the time said national legislation must prescribe a framework within which a procurement policy must be implemented. The bill was intended to address weaknesses in the procurement of goods and services by organs of state that have in the past enabled corruption, including state capture. Previously, the legislation regulating procurement was said to be fragmented and constraining. Hill-Lewis pointed out that seven of nine provinces did not have lawful final mandates to vote on the bill in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). He added there were inadequate public participation timeframes and notice periods by provinces and the NCOP. There was also incorrect information in reports considered by the NCOP and National Assembly and the Assembly failed to consult on changes to chapter 4, did not consider all public comments and failed to comply with the rules for introducing a bill. 'We believe this [act] should be invalidated due to fatal shortcomings in public participation and parliament's procedures. Beyond these issues, it is vital that any new consideration of the [act] takes into account the huge red tape burden it will place on local government and the unconstitutional interference it permits in municipalities. 'At a local level, we often have to procure fast to respond to urgent water, sanitation, electrical, waste and environmental issues. This [act] impedes the ability to respond swiftly to local needs by introducing more red tape to complicate procurements. This inefficiency will have a direct effect on service delivery to residents.'
The Herald
29-05-2025
- General
- The Herald
Koukamma by-election: ANC in Koukamma wins by-election
The ANC in Koukamma retained Ward 5 in Wednesday's by-election in the Sarah Baartman district municipality. The ANC's Clive Witbooi clinched the victory after receiving 1,225 of the votes cast. A total of 2,482 votes were cast. The ANC won with 49.66% of the votes, followed by the Patriotic Alliance with 36.2%, and the DA trailing in third place with 11.39%. Sarah Baartman regional chairperson Deon de Vos said the ANC was excited about the win. 'It was work because it is the third time we're contesting this ward in one term. 'We contested the ward during the 2021 local government elections, then again in the 2023 by-elections, and now in 2025. 'This is a very rural ward so we got a lot of support from the district and province. 'We feel excited for people to put trust in the ANC, notwithstanding challenges with service delivery issues. 'We congratulate the volunteers who did a great job. 'We commit to serve the people as best as we can with the councillor to deal with service delivery issues,' De Vos said. The by-election was held due to a vacancy in the ward, after the death of the previous ward councillor. De Vos said the previous councillor died in a motor vehicle accident, along with a volunteer. 'At the time of his death, he had been in the position a year and six months. He was a very good councillor.' The Herald
Mail & Guardian
29-05-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
GNU cabinet: Too many chiefs, not enough service
DA leader John Steenhuisen and ANC leader and South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa. The government of national unity has 43 deputy ministers. If that number was trimmed, R100 million a year could be saved. Photo: GCIS In a time of service delivery failures, South Africa must take a hard look at its executive. Not just the quality of leadership but the sheer quantity of members. At a time when citizens are told to tighten their belts, and government departments are urged to cut spending, the executive branch remains bloated, inefficient and largely shielded from scrutiny. With the Each deputy minister earns more than R2 million a year, plus travel allowances, housing and VIP protection, yet they carry no constitutional executive authority. They are not members of the cabinet and cannot stand in for ministers unless the president appoints a sitting minister to act in a colleague's absence. The constitutional provision (section 93) clearly states that deputy ministers exist only to assist ministers — which often means reading speeches, attending ceremonial events and occupying symbolic roles during outreach initiatives. This raises the question — why are South Africans paying The cabinet appointments have amplified this contradiction. Many of the 43 deputies appointed in July 2024 are not technocrats but rather political appointees, placed to appease alliance partners and opposition factions — not to drive service delivery. The minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, for instance, now has two deputies, despite municipalities being largely in financial ruin, with 66 out of 257 municipalities deemed dysfunctional by the auditor general. This redundancy of roles is not only expensive, it is unjustifiable in the face of mounting austerity. The auditor general's 2023-24 Municipal Finance Management Act report highlights R22 billion in irregular expenditure, most of it from departments overseen by ministers with deputies. If anything, the proliferation of deputies has correlated with increased mismanagement, not improved outcomes. This is not an isolated critique. In 2015, then president Jacob Zuma appointed a similarly oversized cabinet — 35 ministers and 37 deputy ministers — attracting widespread criticism. Even then, commentators noted that countries with larger populations and GDPs, such as China (20 ministers) and Russia (23 ministers), operated more efficiently with leaner executives. So what exactly do South African deputy ministers do? There is no legally binding list of responsibilities for deputy ministers. They are not assigned key performance indicators in the same way that In fact, many remain largely invisible until public scandals or parliamentary debates put them in the spotlight. One notorious example was the 2013 revelation that then deputy minister of agriculture, Bheki Cele, had racked up hundreds of thousands in travel claims without attending a single provincial outreach session. And when they're not invisible, they're interchangeable. Deputy ministers are reshuffled frequently — with few, if any, consequences tied to performance. In the July 2024 cabinet reshuffle, more than a dozen deputy ministers were retained or reappointed despite having little public record of being effective. This creates deadweight politics — where individuals are paid handsomely to exist in government without contributing meaningfully to its function. It's not that all deputy ministers are ineffectual. Some work hard behind the scenes. But without transparency, reporting or structured oversight, we cannot separate the active from the idle. The National Development Plan calls for a professionalised public service, where merit and delivery are prioritised over political accommodation. The current system of deputy ministers flies in the face of this ideal. Moreover, at the provincial level, governments function without deputy members of executive councils. Departments are managed by one MEC and a team of civil servants. So why not replicate this model nationally? The government's own spending reviews have previously flagged the costs of the executive. In 2020, the Cutting deputy ministers might not fix South Africa's budget deficit overnight, but it sends a powerful signal — we are serious about governance reform. We are serious about performance. We are serious about value for money. It would also strengthen the credibility of the government in the eyes of citizens, who are increasingly disillusioned. According to the 2023 Afrobarometer survey, only 23% of South Africans trust the president to do what is right. Among young people, this number is even lower. When people protest over poor service delivery, they don't demand more deputies. They demand water, sanitation, jobs — and leaders who show up, account and deliver. The existence of 43 deputy ministers, many of whom are redundant, sends a clear message — the state exists to serve political interests first, public interests second. It doesn't have to be this way. The Constitution gives the president full discretion over whether to appoint deputy ministers. There is no legal obligation to do so. If President Cyril Ramaphosa wants to lead a truly efficient and ethical GNU, he must start by trimming the fat. A smaller, smarter cabinet is not a political risk, it's a governance necessity. Cutting down on deputy ministers is not just about saving R100 million annually, it's about restoring the integrity of the executive. It's about showing citizens that the government will lead by example. It's about building a leaner state capable of delivery, not just diplomacy. South Africa deserves a cabinet that works — not one that coasts. Dr Lesedi Senamele Matlala is a public policy and digital governance lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, at the School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy.
Mail & Guardian
28-05-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
DA slams Joburg's R89.4bn budget as politically motivated
The capital budget of R8.7 billion (R26.2 billion over the medium term) intentionally targets regions that were affected by spatial planning during apartheid, according to the statement. This includes Alexandra, Diepsloot, Kaalfontein, Orange Farm and Lenasia South. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G) The 'It's a political budget and it is just to ensure that they are putting money in areas where they know they are going to get more votes [going] to the current ruling coalition at the moment,' said the DA's Johannesburg caucus leader, Belinda Echeozonjoku. On Wednesday, Johannesburg Finance MMC The capital budget of R8.7 billion (R26.2 billion over the medium term) intentionally targets regions that were affected by spatial planning during apartheid, according to the statement. This includes Alexandra, Diepsloot, Kaalfontein, Orange Farm and Lenasia South. Echeozonjoku said one of the concerns for the DA was that huge amounts were being allocated to Region E, under which Alexandra township falls, but not much improvement had taken place there. 'Massive money is spent in Alex, you go to Alex today, do you see any of that money making a difference? We do not see where the money is going,' she said. Speaking to journalists after the council seating, Arnolds said: 'The budget reflects our resolve to drive infrastructure led-growth, accelerated service delivery and restore long-term financial sustainability; with a projected operating surplus of R4.1 billion and a capital allocation of R8.7 billion for this year alone [and] growing to R26.2 billion over the next three years. 'We are focusing our capital investment where they are needed most: revitalising the inner city … but also in different regions where we are deployed as MMC.' The key revenue drivers for this year include electricity, for which R25.6 billion is allocated, R20 billion for water and wastewater, R18.1 billion for property rates, R3.3 billion for refuse removal and R4.57 billion for the national fuel levy, according to budget documents. Referring to the underdeveloped regions, Arnolds said: We've had lots of service backlogs, it's historical, and in the underserved areas. We know that Diepsloot, Orange Farm, Lenasia South and Kaalfontein are basically the step-children of the City of Johannesburg and we are going to fix that.' Echeozonjoku said the city is allocating money to townships or informal settlements without saying what their plan is to formalise those settlements. 'It means you are throwing money into an area that is not formalised. Are you able to see the stand number? Are you able to collect revenue for prepaid meters and things like that? 'How are you going to be able to collect from those areas? You are opening the city up to challenges of illegal connection once again if you are not formalising those informal settlements. 'We are not happy with the allocations that have been done without a proper plan on how to actually collect revenue.' She added that a lot of money has been taken from transport and the DA. 'We are not happy with that either. The tariffs increase; we felt that there's a lot of money that could have been redirected as well.' A sum of R400 million has been set aside for the Johannesburg Roads Agency to resurface roads.
