The Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Mr. Sephiri Motanyane says Africa needs a public service system that performs well in order to secure good governance and ensure itself a more prominent place in an increasingly competitive global world. He said this when delivering an official opening address at the 24th annual African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) round table conference held at Lesotho Sun Hotel on Monday 25 November,2002.

Mr. Motanyane further acknowledged the impact of the theme under discussion "TheAfrican Public Service in the 21st Century-new initiatives in Performance Management", saying that it is through challenges put in place by performance management that organizations would be able to discover and implement more creative institutional arrangements and incentive structure. He urged participants to remember to be self critical of poor performance visible of the public service sectors in most African countries in their deliberations, adding that African public sector managers, therefore, must demonstrate that they are able to manage resources economically, efficiently and effectively.

The Minister further mentioned that, in turn, civil servants have to perform at the highest level of professional capabilities saying that the time has come that the public servants, like their private sector counterparts, face the pressure to sharpen their competitive edge and satisfy their customers at all times. He concluded by indicating that an organization is as alive as its people, saying performance management will enable organizations to identify, retain and motivate competent experts who will effect changes in various organizations.

Speaking of AAPAM in perspective, the Minister of Local Government Dr. Pontso Sekatle, who is also the former AAPAM Deputy President, explained that the meeting marks the 40th anniversary of AAPAM which was established in 1962 but managed to start with the round table meetings in 1978. She said since its inception, AAPAM has brought together public administrators and managers with the mission to promote and spearhead best practices and professionalism in public administration and management in Africa.

She said while former round table meetings have focused on selected themes of which recommendations assist policy makers in promoting their respective national development, this year the meeting focuses on Performance management as a challenge to sustainable development in the 21st century. She clarified that African countries are now more conscious of good governance and proper public services adding that AAPAM hopes to, through the conference, assist countries in achieving development through good governance.

She said AAPAM has over the years managed to bring together participants from private and public sectors to share ideas on how to use public administration and management as a tool to sustainable development. Dr. Sekatle concluded by mentioning that performance management, if well administered, is an important tool for providing accountability to the public and for demonstrating better and more effective public services.

The five-day conference is attended by Public administrators and managers whose countries are member states of AAPAM in Africa. Member states include Lesotho, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.

25 November,2002