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Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of governance and public administration with the Kingdom of Lesotho Minister of Public Service, Mr Tsukutlane Au in Pretoria.

The signing of the MoU took place within the broader cooperation framework between South Africa and Lesotho which is based on the Bi-National Commission (BNC) that the neighbouring countries have. Both Ministers led high level delegations consisting of Directors-General, Executives and other senior government officials for the signing ceremony.

All entities falling within the ambit of the South African Ministry for the Public Service and Administration, namely, the Department of Public Service and Administration, National School of Government and the Centre for Public Service Innovation, will use the signed instrument to exchange information and share best practices. Areas for the envisaged cooperation include, amongst others: Performance Management System, Structures, Systems and Design of the Public Services, Human Resource Development and Public Sector Scarce Skills Retention Strategies. These areas of cooperation and others will be implemented through seconding and attaching experts, providing technical consultations and organising exchange programmes between the parties.

South Africa and Lesotho have numerous Memoranda of Understanding signed amongst various Ministries of the respective countries. The MoU on Public Service marks the beginning of a strategic partnership as exchanges of best practices on public administration will serve as a catalyst in bolstering and improving service delivery of the two countries. Efficient Public Service is a cornerstone for a well oiled and effective government machinery and it is anticipated that cooperation in this regard will have far reaching and positive implications the general collaboration between Lesotho and South Africa on many programmes and projects ranging from government-to-government, business and people-to-people.

Both Minister Ramatlhodi and his Lesotho counterpart, Mr Au, underscored the importance of ensuring that the signed MoU should be implemented with immediate effect to hasten improved Public Service systems and policies that will ensure improvement of capacity for the respective governments to tackle the scourge of poverty, inequality and unemployment and enhance the capacity of the state to create a better life for all. Both South Africa and Lesotho are actively participate in governance and public administration policy dialogue within SADC and the entire African continent and the signed MoU will reinforce and consolidate common positions in improving public services regional and AU levels.


Issued by GCIS on behalf of the Department of Public Service and Administration