Date: 20/10/2003
Source: Ministry of Public Service and Administration
Title: Fraser-Moleketi: Colloquium/Anniversary of School of Public Administration, UP
OPENING REMARKS BY THE HONOURABLE GERALDINE FRASER MOLEKETI, MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION, AT THE COLLOQUIUM/ANNIVERSARY OF THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA, 20 October 2003
AFRICANISING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: ISSUES OF LEADERSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
The theme that you have chosen for the colloquium over the next two days is indeed a challenging one.
It is challenging, given its currency and relevance to the processes that are underway in terms of NEPAD and the activities of the African Union.
It is, however, even a more challenging theme because of the internal tensions that are found within the theme.
Aime Cesaire suggested that "There are two ways of losing oneself: through fragmentation in the particular or dilution in the universal". The challenge in getting a grip on Africa in general, and discussing "Africanising Public Administration" in particular is one of "How do we understand the particularity of African without losing sense of universal/ widely shared knowledge, experience and history?". A further dilemma is to factor in sufficient distinction and diversity within the concept of "African". We need to be very wary of an uncritical perception that suggests similarity and unanimity in value and behaviour across a very big continent which experienced many diverse influences and that have consequently developed its own systems on different tracts. We also need to be careful to label something as "African" simply because it is voiced, demonstrated or embraced by a person from African origin. If the Zulu warrior Shaka believed in a particular management philosophy, does it make it African by definition or is it Shaka's personal (or at best a Zulu) philosophy? In these matters we need to be very careful how we move from the specific to the general.
A critical assessment of the status of public administration and governance on the African continent today will reveal the mark left by various colonial processes. At the same time we have to be aware of the neglect of indigenous administrative modes and efforts and the reliance - sometimes excessively so - on foreign models. I do not want to dwell on these matters too much, since I believe that this audience should be familiar with the most important tenets of such an analysis.
The fact of the matter is that notwithstanding the importance of the theme of your meeting we are faced with more questions than answers and the empirical base for our discussions on these issues are fairly thin. As part of the preparation for the 4th Pan African Conference on Ministers of Public Service an African wide partnership was formed for the generation of some case study material. I invite you to peruse these and engage with the empirical content thereof on the worldwide web at www.publicadminafrica.org. In addition substantial work has also gone into establishing a continent wide database on Governance and Public Administration data, as well as the development of an appropriate set of governance indicators. Notwithstanding the more accessible datasets, the level of analysis still does not allow us to answer fairly basic, although complex questions. These would include:
* What are the unique challenges that are facing African leadership at the beginning of the 21st century? What are the demands that these challenges will place on the leadership style - both administratively and politically speaking?
* Are there some challenges lodged in the political-administrative interface in Africa given our history that is different from other parts of the world? Do these pose their own unique challenges for both political and administrative leadership? What would these be and how are we to respond successfully?
* Bearing in mind my introductory comments - Is there a uniquely African leadership style that has been corrupted by the colonial experience? What are the essential elements of such a style? Is it possible to regenerate this? Will such a style be amenable to the context of the modern state? Can Africa contribute to the development of international public administration thinking?
* What are the challenges in terms of leadership development in Africa? What curricula are we to use? How do we manage the influences that come through the literature that we read, the cases that we study, the tools that we teach?
* How are we to manage the mobility of human capital in order to prevent a brain drain from Africa in general, and the public service specifically?
* How are African leaders managing diversity on ethnical, cultural, linguistic and religious grounds?
These are but to mention a few of the questions that we yet to explore from a more empirical base.
Given our shortcomings in terms of empirical research and understanding, is it possible for us to draw from our African philosophical routes in order to re-establish African thinking on the field? Many would argue that it would be difficult. In the first instance the ancient African philosophy is in general not sufficiently adequate for conditions of the modern African state. They are also very conservatively minded. Modern African philosophy is also found wanting for purposes of giving direction to public administration. Scholars of African philosophy indicate that this genre of philosophy is very biased and morally much too simple to provide direct direction. With few exceptions such as the francophone philosophers/political scientists Achille Mbembe and Amadou Hampate Ba the philosophical underpinnings for a modern Africanised public administration are fairly deplete.
Nevertheless, there are undeniable some influences in the African mindset and value system that distinguishe it from that of a more Western or Eurocentric approach and that are relevant for our thinking about public administration. In some instances these represent ideal-type organisational behaviour that others are hankering to imitate and embrace in their own management style and organisations.
In research carried out in 1995 entitled "Toward a Theory of Afrocentric Organizations" (i) it was found that the Afrocentric organisation is based on the philosophical orientation of harmony, spirituality and humanistic/people oriented principles with basic administration elements that include support of all members, communal management style and prioritising people over profit. These characteristics contrast sharply with the Eurocentric organisational model that tends to embrace materialism, hierarchical control, bottom-line profits and competition.
I believe the work for our public administration and governance researchers, intellectuals and academics is cut out for them.
In terms of the applied relevance vis-
Source: Ministry of Public Service and Administration
Title: Fraser-Moleketi: Colloquium/Anniversary of School of Public Administration, UP
OPENING REMARKS BY THE HONOURABLE GERALDINE FRASER MOLEKETI, MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION, AT THE COLLOQUIUM/ANNIVERSARY OF THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA, 20 October 2003
AFRICANISING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: ISSUES OF LEADERSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
The theme that you have chosen for the colloquium over the next two days is indeed a challenging one.
It is challenging, given its currency and relevance to the processes that are underway in terms of NEPAD and the activities of the African Union.
It is, however, even a more challenging theme because of the internal tensions that are found within the theme.
Aime Cesaire suggested that "There are two ways of losing oneself: through fragmentation in the particular or dilution in the universal". The challenge in getting a grip on Africa in general, and discussing "Africanising Public Administration" in particular is one of "How do we understand the particularity of African without losing sense of universal/ widely shared knowledge, experience and history?". A further dilemma is to factor in sufficient distinction and diversity within the concept of "African". We need to be very wary of an uncritical perception that suggests similarity and unanimity in value and behaviour across a very big continent which experienced many diverse influences and that have consequently developed its own systems on different tracts. We also need to be careful to label something as "African" simply because it is voiced, demonstrated or embraced by a person from African origin. If the Zulu warrior Shaka believed in a particular management philosophy, does it make it African by definition or is it Shaka's personal (or at best a Zulu) philosophy? In these matters we need to be very careful how we move from the specific to the general.
A critical assessment of the status of public administration and governance on the African continent today will reveal the mark left by various colonial processes. At the same time we have to be aware of the neglect of indigenous administrative modes and efforts and the reliance - sometimes excessively so - on foreign models. I do not want to dwell on these matters too much, since I believe that this audience should be familiar with the most important tenets of such an analysis.
The fact of the matter is that notwithstanding the importance of the theme of your meeting we are faced with more questions than answers and the empirical base for our discussions on these issues are fairly thin. As part of the preparation for the 4th Pan African Conference on Ministers of Public Service an African wide partnership was formed for the generation of some case study material. I invite you to peruse these and engage with the empirical content thereof on the worldwide web at www.publicadminafrica.org. In addition substantial work has also gone into establishing a continent wide database on Governance and Public Administration data, as well as the development of an appropriate set of governance indicators. Notwithstanding the more accessible datasets, the level of analysis still does not allow us to answer fairly basic, although complex questions. These would include:
* What are the unique challenges that are facing African leadership at the beginning of the 21st century? What are the demands that these challenges will place on the leadership style - both administratively and politically speaking?
* Are there some challenges lodged in the political-administrative interface in Africa given our history that is different from other parts of the world? Do these pose their own unique challenges for both political and administrative leadership? What would these be and how are we to respond successfully?
* Bearing in mind my introductory comments - Is there a uniquely African leadership style that has been corrupted by the colonial experience? What are the essential elements of such a style? Is it possible to regenerate this? Will such a style be amenable to the context of the modern state? Can Africa contribute to the development of international public administration thinking?
* What are the challenges in terms of leadership development in Africa? What curricula are we to use? How do we manage the influences that come through the literature that we read, the cases that we study, the tools that we teach?
* How are we to manage the mobility of human capital in order to prevent a brain drain from Africa in general, and the public service specifically?
* How are African leaders managing diversity on ethnical, cultural, linguistic and religious grounds?
These are but to mention a few of the questions that we yet to explore from a more empirical base.
Given our shortcomings in terms of empirical research and understanding, is it possible for us to draw from our African philosophical routes in order to re-establish African thinking on the field? Many would argue that it would be difficult. In the first instance the ancient African philosophy is in general not sufficiently adequate for conditions of the modern African state. They are also very conservatively minded. Modern African philosophy is also found wanting for purposes of giving direction to public administration. Scholars of African philosophy indicate that this genre of philosophy is very biased and morally much too simple to provide direct direction. With few exceptions such as the francophone philosophers/political scientists Achille Mbembe and Amadou Hampate Ba the philosophical underpinnings for a modern Africanised public administration are fairly deplete.
Nevertheless, there are undeniable some influences in the African mindset and value system that distinguishe it from that of a more Western or Eurocentric approach and that are relevant for our thinking about public administration. In some instances these represent ideal-type organisational behaviour that others are hankering to imitate and embrace in their own management style and organisations.
In research carried out in 1995 entitled "Toward a Theory of Afrocentric Organizations" (i) it was found that the Afrocentric organisation is based on the philosophical orientation of harmony, spirituality and humanistic/people oriented principles with basic administration elements that include support of all members, communal management style and prioritising people over profit. These characteristics contrast sharply with the Eurocentric organisational model that tends to embrace materialism, hierarchical control, bottom-line profits and competition.
I believe the work for our public administration and governance researchers, intellectuals and academics is cut out for them.
In terms of the applied relevance vis-
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