Abstract
Ethics, the legislation and upholding of good conduct by public officials is a sine qua non for sustenance of good governance and service delivery. The White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service 1994 identified the need for a code of conduct in South Africa as an essential element to enhance high standards of ethics and professionalism. In 1996, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa prescribed the values and principles of Public Administration. Subsequently, the Public Service Commission developed a Code of Conduct in 1997. The legitimacy of local government is based on the same principles of ethics and professionalism as that of the national government. It is imperative to implement an ethical framework for social and economic development at the grass-root level. This article examines the theoretical terrain of ethics in public management and posits that, whereas there exist some state-of-the-art legis lation that regulate the conduct of public functionaries at the local government sphere, outcomes of ethics in practice are rather unethical and illusive. There is therefore an advocacy for the need to intensify implementation of ethical guidelines for councillors and municipal employees. The fiduciary, management, operational and accountabil ity framework is further upheld through the implementation of a code of conduct for local officials. Theoretically, the framework should be scientifically accountable and practically feasible in implementation.The article recommends the need to strategise measurable implementation plans, conduct the on-going fraud risk assessments and sensitise the community through education and training regarding good governance and the code of ethics. The approach used is descriptive, though analytical.
Highlights
The image of a government depends upon the conduct of public functionaries and the perceptions of its citizenry regarding the acceptable standards of services offered by the functionaries
The subject of ethics in South African local government has always evoked a great degree of interest in our relatively new democracy, as the local sphere of government is much closer to local communities compared to its provincial and national counterparts
The following policy points are recommended to further help enforce ethical requirements of public officials:
Summary
The image of a government depends upon the conduct of public functionaries and the perceptions of its citizenry regarding the acceptable standards of services offered by the functionaries It is, of fundamental importance that public functionaries act justly and fairly to one and all, paying lip service to transparency and openness (Vyas-Doorgapersad & Ababio, 2006: 385), and ensure that these are manifested based on Batho Pele principles per se. Ethical standards and behaviour expectations of public servants are usually spelt out in a code of ethics normally documented in rules and regulations They are implicit in the behaviour that may constitute an act of misconduct that may manifest itself in various forms and at different times in the history of the state (Agere, 1992: 39). Twenty-first-century ethics Determinants-authentic discourse among all who will be affected Constantly managing code(s)-based on continuous authentic discourse Support guaranteed through consensus Dissenters subject to punitive measures Ethics based on anthropological and sociological pluralism Personal accountability
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