Thirty years into democracy, South Africa’s public sector faces widespread corruption, eroding public trust and prompting calls for professionalisation. Despite some diligent public servants, poor trust levels highlight the need for merit-based recruitment, especially at senior levels, to bridge the gap between political appointees and executives. Professionalising the sector requires political will, public accountability, and a moral compass.

On Tuesday, 30 July 2024, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) proudly hosted the professorial inauguration of Professor Vain Jarbandhan, Professor in Public Management and Governance and Director of the Centre for Public Management and Governance at UJ. The event took place at UJ’s Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, attended by the VC Functionary, Professor Bongani Ngqulunga, and the acting Executive Dean of the College of Business and Economics (CBE), Professor Ben Marx.

The title of Professor Jarbandhan’s inaugural address was “Mission Impossible? Professionalisation of the South African Public Sector”. Following his address, Professor David Fourie from the School of Public Management and Administration at the University of Pretoria provided a brief response.

The lecture was divided into three parts: a personal reflection, the factors that shaped Professor Jarbandhan’s research focus, and a detailed examination of public sector professionalism in South Africa.

He explained that his interest in public sector professionalism stems from the persistent issues of malfeasance and corruption within the sector. Rather than focusing on corruption, his lecture highlighted efforts to professionalise the public sector to build a capable and developmental state that serves the citizenry based on professional competence and merit, rather than unethical personal and political interests.

Prof Jarbandhan referenced a powerful analogy from Jim Collins’ bestselling book Good to Great. Collins highlights that successful transformations do not start with a clear vision or strategy, but with assembling the right team.

Leaders who transformed their companies from good to great began by ensuring they had the right people in place and removing those who were not contributing effectively. Once the right team was assembled, they could then collectively determine the best direction to take. This approach underscores the importance of having competent, dedicated individuals in key positions before developing and implementing strategies.

Professor Jarbandhan emphasised the constitutional mandate for a high standard of professional ethics in public administration. Despite this mandate and numerous supporting legislations, unprofessional behaviour remains a significant concern, eroding investor confidence, diminishing morale, and tarnishing the public sector’s reputation. He cited the Department of Public Service and Administration’s National Implementation Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Service, released on 8 December 2020, which aims to create a responsive, meritocratic, and professional public administration.

Despite the challenges, Professor Jarbandhan remains optimistic that a professional public sector can help fulfil the promise of a better life for all made at the dawn of democracy. He proposed five key areas to address:

• Replacing ineffective leaders
• Removing non-performing staff
• Implementing consequence management
• Appointing the right people in mission-critical jobs
• Replacing patronage with performance

In conclusion, Professor Jarbandhan’s vision for a professionalised public sector is crucial for building a capable and developmental state in South Africa.

Professor Jarbandhan has over 25 years of service at UJ, joining academia in 1999. He started as a teacher in the Department of Basic Education before moving to Vista University to teach Public Administration and Management. He helped establish UJ’s Department of Public Management and Governance in 2004. He served as Head of Department, was promoted to full professor in 2023, received a C2 NRF Rating, and directs the Centre for Public Management and Governance.

He has supervised over 275 honours essays, 13 master’s students, and 5 doctoral students. He has published over 50 academic articles, contributed to 7 book chapters, and co-edited *Climate Change in Africa: Adaptation, Resilience, and Policy Innovations*. His international collaborations include institutions in Sweden, Lithuania, Ghana, Rwanda, China, and Singapore. Professor Jarbandhan is on the SALGA task team for Public Sector Professionalism and serves on expert panels for global studies on Presidencies and Innovating Governance. He will be a Visiting Professor at Marondera University of Agriculture, Science and Technology (MUAST) in Zimbabwe in 2024.

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