Common Country Assessment - Swaziland, 1997

Contents | Introduction | Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Livelihoods | Advancement/Empowerment of Women | Child Rights/Child Development/Child Protection | Education | Population | Environment | Health | STD/HIV/AIDS | Food Security/Nutrition | Governance and Participation | Institution Building | Summary and Conclusion

Chapter Twelve - Institution-Building

The Government of Swaziland currently has sixteen ministries, as follows:

  • Prime Minister’s Office
  • Deputy Prime Minister
  • Ministry of Finance
  • Ministry of Economic Planning and Development
  • Ministry of Tourism, Environment & Communications
  • Ministry of Enterprise & Employment
  • Ministry of Housing & Urban Development
  • Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives
  • Ministry of Education
  • Ministry of Public Works & Transport
  • Ministry of Natural Resources & Energy
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade
  • Ministry of Health & Social Welfare
  • Ministry of Public Service & Information
  • Ministry of Justice & Constitutional Development
  • Ministry of Home Affairs.

Their responsibilities were last reviewed in December 1996. For the last three years, they have been operating under a ‘no growth’ policy - new positions cannot be created without the removal of an equivalent position from elsewhere.

There is a review of their functioning under way, which review is to be the main vehicle for institution-building. Called the Public Sector Management Programme (PSMP), it was officially inaugurated in June 1995. It examines government resource allocations, expenditure trends, organisational structures, and policies and procedures in each ministry. Its purpose is to limit the size and improve the efficiency of the civil service.1 It has adopted a four-phase approach - management audits, ministerial review and implementation workshops, national review and implementation workshops, and monitoring and evaluation. At present, the first phase is at the review stage. It is already apparent that "this is a process, that will take years to final fruition and will need constant renewal and refocusing."2

In addition to these sixteen ministries, there are twenty-five Category A Public Enterprises (wholly or substantially owned by government and supported by subventions). These supply much of the national infrastructure: urban water supplies, electricity, telecommunications, rail and air transport, institutes for tertiary education and hospitality industries. In 1995, their workforce represented almost seven percent of formal sector employment and twenty-two percent of public sector employment.3 Their operations are reviewed by the Public Enterprise Unit within the Ministry of Finance.

In reviewing institutions, it is necessary to address the tasks they are to accomplish. Government’s future initiatives are to be guided in the long term by the National Development Strategy (NDS), and in the short term by the Economic and Social Reform Agenda.

The long-term vision of the draft NDS, which is to be in place by the end of 1997, is currently as follows:

"By the year 2022, the Kingdom of Swaziland will be in the top 10 percent of the medium human development group of countries founded on sustainable economic development, social justice and political stability."

This vision is consonant with the Mission Statement of the Government of Swaziland, which is to provide a climate and infrastructure that will progressively maximize the quality and security of life of the people of Swaziland and make the best use of the country's natural and human resources.

The government's commitment is therefore ‘a moving target’: its goal places it in competition with other developing countries towards increasing:

  • Life expectancy at birth
  • The adult literacy rate
  • The combined first-, second-, and third-level gross enrolment ratio Real GDP per capita.

The NDS has been formatted into eight (interpenetrating) categories for attention in attaining this vision:

1. Governance and Public Sector Management towards:

  • An enabling environment for economic, social and human development
  • Exercise of sound economic management
  • Provision of basic socioeconomic services (where private sector involvement is either inappropriate or unsatisfactory).

2. Economic Management, subdivided into three areas:

  • Fiscal and monetary policies
  • Economic growth and structural shifts in the economy
  • Balance of Payments.

3. Physical Infrastructure - transport, communications, water and sanitation, fuel and energy, human settlements, environmental protection.

4. Agriculture, Land and Rural Development - food security, diversification and commercialisation of agricultural activities, community participation in land management, wildlife and game parks.

5. Economic Services - mining, construction, manufacturing, commerce, tourism and financial services

6. Education and Training

7. Population, Health and Social Welfare

8. Gender and Disadvantaged Groups.

These eight categories address the HDI indices to differing degrees. The most dominant in each index are considered to be as follows:

Life expectancy at birth:

  • Population, Health and Social Welfare
  • Gender and Disadvantaged Groups
  • Governance and Public Sector Management

The adult literacy rate:

  • Education and Training
  • Governance and Public Sector Management

The combined first-, second-, and third-level gross enrolment ratio

  • Education and Training
  • Population, Health and Social Welfare
  • Governance and Public Sector Management

Real GDP per capita.

  • Economic Management
  • Economic Services
  • Education and Training (with Gender and Disadvantaged Groups) Agriculture, Land and Rural Development
  • Governance and Public Sector Management
  • Population, Health and Social Welfare
  • Physical Infrastructure.

The inclusion of all groups in the ‘real GDP per capita’ section reflects the strong relationship between human development and GDP per capita, as shown on the Human Development Index. That is, GDP and Human Development are part of a feedback loop, each continually empowering the other. Therefore, the only viable approach to a task as complex as human and national development is the process approach - focusing upon the structure of a system - the development of the individual components (human and natural) - but also upon its organisation - the relationship of those components, and how they work together towards the common goal. This is also why "Governance and Public Sector Management" appears in all four indices.

In facing the formidable challenges being taken on by the NDS, the point has been made that "although the Swaziland public sector does many things well, there are some things seriously wrong with it."4 Areas of concern include the policymaking process (often reactive instead of proactive), human resource management / management styles and systems (including inadequate institutional coordination), budgeting for performance, and inadequate decentralisation / deconcentration of governance. "A shortage of competent senior civil servants has been a constraining factor affecting public service administration. This concern was strongly and clearly expressed [by] high ranking officials. . . a key factor in the success of public administration systems is the availability of competent management leadership [yet] appointment or promotion to senior posts may be affected by political and/or personal loyalties and affiliation."5

When merit is not the major criterion for promotion, many of those with merit seek alternative employment where their merits will be rewarded. Others are forced to underachieve by obsolete or inadequate management practices, and eventually leave in frustration. The quantity of civil servants is available - in fact there are recommendations for both far fewer civil servants and fewer ministries - but there is a shortage of the quality personnel and management systems required to meet the challenges ahead.

This places a heavy burden on the existing group of highly capable civil servants, not only to increase existing levels of service but also to make the quantum leap required to respond to the challenges within the NDS.

This observation applies in many if not all areas, but by far the most urgent and stark is that of HIV/AIDS - not only in its medical aspects, but also in its social implications. Experiences to the north of Swaziland indicate that Aids could first decimate those of the calibre needed to fulfill the vision of the NDS. Despite the best efforts of a dedicated few, on the evidence from the antenatal clinics Aids is already at near-saturation point in the country. Warnings were made but were ignored, warnings were not received in time - whatever the cause, the capacities to deal with Aids appears at this point to be completely inadequate. Its affects upon institution-building are as yet undetermined, but indications are that it could be devastating.

Even without Aids, but especially with Aids, a radical revision of public sector management appears a necessary but insufficient precondition for achieving the mission statement of the government and the vision of the NDS. However, "perhaps too much store has been put on the capacity of the PSMP to deliver a civil service that is efficient, effective and focused on providing a quality product at least cost to the exchequer."2 There is a distinct danger that the institutional responses to the challenges may be too slow and too under-resourced to be successful.

  1. MEPD, 1997. Development Plan 1997/98 - 1999/00, p. 92
  2. PSI, 1997. Commonwealth Seminar on Managing Change in the Public Service - The Swaziland paper. Delivered November 17-26, Civil Service College, Singapore
  3. MEPD 1997, p.64
  4. UN DDSMS, 1995. Report of a Mission to the Kingdom of Swaziland on Public Sector Management Review 24th April - 2nd June 1995, pp. i, 5.
  5. Ibid., p. 66.

Suggestions or comments. This page was last updated on 06 May 2003