Teorie en praktyk van deursigtigheid in die openbare sektor

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Date
2006-11
Authors
Pretorius, Marlize Carine
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The principles of accountability and transparency serve as important building blocks for a democracy that wants to enhance sound and efficient governance. The South African government experiences increased allegations of insufficient public accountability, corruption and maladministration against them and therefore it is essential to pay in-depth attention to the role of public transparency in the enhancement of sound democratic governance. Transparency is not merely an aim in itself, but serves as a means to reach the planned government objectives and to make effective and efficient participation of all role-players possible. Open and transparent governance refer to, amongst other, access to information, participation in public decision-making and the freedom of the media. An excellent relationship of trust between the public sector and the public should continuously be developed and maintained. This makes it essential to keep the public well-informed about the management of national and regional public institutions, how well they perform, the money spent by them to reach the approved public objectives and how control is exercised to ensure successful implementation of the approved government programmes. Correct and sufficient information must be available to the citizens to enable them to determine the quality of public goods- and service delivery and to therefore contribute to improved service delivery by the public sector. A public institution can be viewed as transparent when it can deliver information to various roleplayers and/or stakeholders, as prescribed by different Acts, for example the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act 2 of 2000). By being transparent, a public institution confirms its respect towards the country’s Acts; justifies its mere existence; confirms its willingness to follow the strategies of the government-of-the-day and to strive towards the improvement of the public welfare. Public accountability in a democratic government means that the political officebearers and public officials must account to the taxpayers for the collection and spending of public money. Public accountability therefore forms a central theme in the theory and practice of public transparency and the basis for sound public administration, as the taxpayer has a right to know how public money has been collected and spent. The South African government must implement well-planned programmes and projects to fight corruption in their strive towards the establishment of transparent, corruption-free and responsible governance. It is essential that the government-of-the-day itself fight corruption by adhering to a policy of zero tolerance towards corrupt officials, irrespective of who the individual is, and to involve the media as a partner that can publish information about corrupt practices in order for the public to be well-informed. Ethics and transparency are closely related. Ethical behaviour can lead to greater transparency in the activities of public officials. In a democratic government there is no place for keeping secrets and for confidentiality when it comes to activities which are financed with public money. Not always serving the public’s interest, but rather its own, is unfortunately part of human nature. It is therefore essential to develop and implement control mechanisms, for example auditing and reporting techniques, which will contribute to public officials adhering to the requirements of transparency and openness. It is the duty and responsibility of all public institutions (political and administrative) to continuously exercise their actions in a transparent and open manner. Transparency is the so-called oxygen of politics and the public life. In the Republic of South Africa it is important to ensure transparent governance to establish equal and effective goods- and service delivery to the citizens; to establish excellent accountability and the involvement of citizens in public decision-making; to improve a legitimate government-of-the-day; to improve the policy formulation and implementation processes; to increase international investments and lastly to decrease the rate of corruption in the country.
Afrikaans: Die beginsels van aanspreeklikheid en deursigtigheid dien as belangrike boustene vir ‘n demokrasie wat op voortreflike en doeltreffende regering aanspraak wil maak. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering verkeer tans in ‘n situasie waar beweringe oor gebrekkige openbare verantwoordelikheid, korrupsie en wanadministrasie voortdurend gemaak word en daarom is dit noodsaaklik om indringende aandag aan die rol van openbare deursigtigheid vir die bevordering van voortreflike demokratiese regering te skenk. Deursigtigheid is nie slegs ‘n doel op sigself nie, maar dien as ‘n middel om verlangde regeringsdoelwitte te behaal en doeltreffende en effektiewe deelname van alle belanghebbendes moontlik te maak. Oop en deursigtige regering behels onder meer toegang tot inligting, deelname aan openbare besluitneming en die vryheid van die media. Daar moet deurgaans gepoog word om ‘n voortreflike vertrouensverhouding tussen die openbare sektor en die publiek te ontwikkel en te handhaaf wat dit noodsaak dat die publiek meer ingeligd moet wees oor die bestuur van nasionale en regionale owerheidsinstellings; hoe goed hulle presteer; die geld wat hul bestee om owerheidsdoelwit(te) na te streef; en hoe beheer oor die uitvoering van goedgekeurde programme uitgevoer word. Korrekte en voldoende inligting moet tot ingesetenes se beskikking wees ten einde hulle in staat te stel om die kwaliteit van openbare goedere- en dienslewering te bepaal en sodoende tot verbeterde dienslewering by te dra. ‘n Openbare instelling kan as deursigtig beskou word wanneer dit inligting, soos deur die omvang van die betrokke wette vereis word, soos byvoorbeeld die Wet op die Bevordering van Toegang tot Inligting, 2000 (Wet 2 van 2000), aan alle belanghebbendes verskaf. ‘n Deursigtige instelling bevestig sy respek vir landswette; die regverdiging vir sy bestaan; die bereidwilligheid om ‘n gekose strategie van ‘n regering-van-die-dag na te volg en die nastreef van die bevordering van die algemene welsyn. Openbare aanspreeklikheid in ‘n demokratiese regering beteken dat die politieke ampsbekleders en openbare amptenare aan die belastingbetalers verantwoording moet doen oor die invordering en besteding van openbare geld. Openbare verantwoording is derhalwe ‘n sentrale tema in die teorie en praktyk van openbare deursigtigheid en vorm die grondslag vir voortreflike openbare administrasie, aangesien die belastingbetaler daarop geregtig is om te weet hoe openbare geld ingevorder en bestee word. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Regering moet weldeurdagte programme en projekte implementeer om korrupsie te beveg en sodoende die ideaal van deursigtige, korrupvrye en verantwoordbare regering te bewerkstellig. Dit is van kardinale belang dat die Regering self korrupsie met hand en tand beveg deur ongenaakbaar teen korruptes op te tree, sonder aansien des persoons, en van die media ‘n bondgenoot te maak om inligting oor korrupte aangeleenthede te publiseer sodat die publiek behoorlik ingelig kan word. Etiek en deursigtigheid hou nouliks met mekaar verband. Etiese gedrag kan tot groter deursigtigheid in die werkverrigtinge van openbare amptenare bydra. In ‘n demokratiese bestel is daar geen plek vir geheimhouding en vertroulikheid wanneer dit by openbare werksaamhede wat met openbare geld gefinansier word, kom nie. Onreëlmatige optrede(s) is ongelukkig eie aan die mens wat dit noodsaak om beheermeganismes te ontwikkel en te implementeer, soos byvoorbeeld ouditering en verslaggewingstegnieke, wat bydra dat openbare amptenare wel aan die vereistes van deursigtigheid en openheid voldoen. Dit is die plig en verantwoordelikheid van alle regeringsinstellings (polities en administratief) om deurentyd hulle optredes op ‘n volgehoue wyse op ‘n deursigtige en openlike wyse te beoefen. Openbare deursigtigheid is die spreekwoordelike suurstof vir politiek en die openbare lewe. In die Republiek van Suid-Afrika is dit noodsaaklik om deursigtige regering te verseker ten einde meer gelyke en effektiewe goedere- en dienslewering aan ingesetenes, voortreflike verantwoording en die betrokkenheid van ingesetenes te bewerkstellig; ‘n legitieme regering-van-die-dag te bevorder; beleidbepalings- en implementeringsprosesse te verbeter; buitelandse beleggings te laat toeneem en laastens korrupsie te laat afneem.
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Keywords
Dissertation (M.P.A. (Public Management))--University of the Free State, 2006, Transparency in government -- South Africa, Administrative responsibility, Disclosure of information -- South Africa, Government information -- Access control
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