(Afrikaans volg Engels)

Welcome to Public Administration!

We are delighted that you are engaging in academic studies in Public Administration and wish to congratulate you on your acceptance into the programme.

As a student in Public Administration, it is essential that you understand the theoretical foundations of Public Administration as an academic discipline. Theory provides philosophies, premises, principles and abstract concepts that assist in explaining reality. Your knowledge of the theory will enable you to use scholarly-based arguments. Consequently, the first study unit of this module provides you with a fundamental background on the history and development of Public Administration as an academic discipline.

In addition, you should understand the application of theory to practice. As a student in Public Administration, you should therefore have knowledge and understanding of the practice of public administration in the public sector. In this respect, the module focuses on the role and structure of the government and the public sector (with particular reference to the local sphere of government). You will note that reference to Public Administration (capital P and capital A) implies the theory or academic studies of Public Administration, while reference to public administration (lower case p and a) entails the practice of public administration.

This module will equip you with knowledge of the branches of government, intergovernmental relations, cooperative government, the organisation of government departments, the role of the public sector in ensuring sustainable development, the importance of administrative justice and the significance of ethical behaviour in the public sector.

As South Africa is a democratic developmental state, it is vital to comprehend the role and commitment of the government in this context. Moreover, it is necessary that you acquire knowledge of the purpose and objectives of a democratic developmental state, the demands it places on the public sector (and specifically the local sphere of government), and the skills, capabilities and attributes required of public servants in this context.

This module therefore aims to provide you with the fundamental principles of Public Administration and its theoretical groundwork. Furthermore, the Introduction to Public Administration equips you with the skills and knowledge to investigate how these aspects, values and principles are realised in South Africa as a contemporary state.

It is our wish that this module will contribute not only to your knowledge base, but that it will also stimulate a willingness to take responsibility for decisions and actions in the societal context, based on a strong value system and an awareness and understanding of the ethical, social, cultural, economic, political and environmental issues in the South African context.

Welkom by Publieke Administrasie!

Ons is verheug dat jy akademiese studies in Publieke Administrasie gaan aanpak en wens jou geluk met jou aanvaarding in die program.

As ʼn student in Publieke Administrasie is dit noodsaaklik dat jy die teoretiese grondslae van Publieke Administrasie as ʼn akademiese dissipline verstaan. Teorie bied filosofieë, aannames, beginsels en abstrakte konsepte wat help om die werklikheid te verduidelik. Jou kennis van die teorie sal jou in staat stel om wetenskaplikgebaseerde argumente aan te voer. Gevolglik voorsien die eerste leereenheid van hierdie module jou met ʼn fundamentele agtergrond oor die geskiedenis en ontwikkeling van Publieke Administrasie as ʼn akademiese dissipline.

Verder moet jy die toepassing van teorie op die praktyk verstaan. As ʼn student in Publieke Administrasie moet jy dus kennis en begrip van die praktyk van publieke administrasie in die openbare sektor hê. In hierdie opsig fokus die module op die rol en struktuur van die regering en die openbare sektor (met besondere verwysing na die plaaslike sfeer van die regering). Jy sal oplet dat verwysing na Publieke Administrasie (hoofletter P en hoofletter A) die teorie of akademiese studie van Publieke Administrasie beteken, terwyl verwysing na publieke administrasie (kleinletters p en a) die praktyk van publieke administrasie behels.

Hierdie module sal jou toerus met kennis van vertakkinge van die regering, interregerings-verhoudings, samewerkende regering, die organisasie van regeringsdepartemente, die rol van die openbare sektor om volhoubare ontwikkeling te verseker, die belangrikheid van administratiewe geregtigheid en die beduidendheid van etiese gedrag in die openbare sektor.

Aangesien Suid-Afrika ʼn demokraties ontwikkelende staat is, is dit noodsaaklik om die rol en verbintenis van die regering in hierdie konteks te verstaan. Verder is dit nodig dat jy kennis verwerf van die doel en doelwitte van ʼn demokraties ontwikkelende staat, die eise wat dit aan die openbare sektor stel (en spesifiek die plaaslike sfeer van die regering), en die vaardighede, vermoëns en eienskappe wat van staatsamptenare in hierdie konteks vereis word.

Hierdie module is dus daarop gerig om jou te voorsien met die fundamentele beginsels van Publieke Administrasie en die teoretiese grondslag daarvan. Verder rus die Inleiding tot Publieke Administrasie jou toe met die vaardighede en kennis om te ondersoek hoe hierdie aspekte, waardes en beginsels in Suid-Afrika as ʼn eietydse staat verwesenlik word.

Dit is ons wens dat hierdie module nie net sal bydra tot jou kennisbasis nie, maar dat dit ook ʼn gewilligheid sal stimuleer om verantwoordelikheid te aanvaar vir besluite en optrede in die samelewingskonteks, gebaseer op ʼn sterk waardestelsel en ʼn bewustheid en begrip van die etiese, sosiale, kulturele, ekonomiese, politieke en omgewingskwessies in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks.