BY THEMBA ZWANE
SIKHUPHE– Improving efficiency in public service delivery will take centre stage when SADC Public Service Commissions (PSCs) Chairpersons and commissioners meet in Eswatini for their 3rd Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Simanga Mamba said the meeting will seek practical ways of ensuring that public institutions across the region become more efficient and responsive to the needs of citizens.
Mamba said the ultimate objective was to ensure that members of the public received satisfactory services from government institutions instead of experiencing delays and poor service delivery.
“The main aim is to establish how we can improve efficiency as far as service delivery is concerned,” Mamba said.
He said the regional gathering presented an opportunity for participating countries to share experiences and identify approaches that could strengthen the performance of their respective public services.
The AGM is scheduled to take place from August 28 to 30, 2026, at the Royal Villas Hotel and Conference in Ezulwini under the theme, “Accelerating the Transformation of the SADC Region through Resilient, Responsive, Citizen Centric, Innovative and Incorruptible Public Service Institutions.”
The theme reinforces the need for public institutions to move beyond policies and commitments and focus on practical improvements that citizens can experience when accessing government services.
Mamba said Eswatini would also explore partnerships with Wits University and the African Union (AU) to determine how civil servants’ capacity could be enhanced to enable them to execute their responsibilities more effectively.
The three-day programme will feature keynote addresses, statements of support from strategic partners, presentations and technical panel discussions on issues including consequence management, ethical leadership, AI governance and digital transformation.
The discussions are expected to culminate in a declaration on transforming SADC public service institutions into resilient, capable, responsive, innovative and citizen-centred entities.
The AGM will bring together chairpersons, commissioners and members of public service commissions from across the SADC region, as well as representatives from strategic partners, academia and development institutions.
The event is being hosted by Eswatini through the CSC, with Mamba and commissioners welcoming delegates to the Kingdom ahead of the formal opening.
Among those who welcomed the regional delegates were CSC commissioners, including Prince Mfanawemakhosi Jomo Dlamini and Reverend Nhlanhla Hlatshwayo.
The gathering also provides an opportunity for participating public service institutions to strengthen regional cooperation and agree on collaborative frameworks aimed at improving public administration.
Mamba’s emphasis on efficiency places the citizen at the centre of the AGM, with the discussions expected to focus on how public servants and institutions can deliver services that are timely, responsive and satisfactory to the people they serve.
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