SELECCIÓN DEL TIPO DE PAVIMENTO

To achieve the objectives of democracy and create conditions under which citizens will be able to achieve the greatest possible well-being, government should be organised in a manner that will allow transparent deliberation, consultation, and the exercising of discipline. In adhering to basic democratic

- 92 -

values, government and political representatives will ensure that the views of different communities and role-players are considered in order to find reasonable solutions for conflicting viewpoints. Some such democratic values are described below (Vyas-Doorgapersad and Ababio 2006:391-393; Van Niekerk et al. 2001:119 and Mbatha 2005:27):

(a) Accountability

In its broadest sense, accountability is an obligation to expose, explain and justify actions. Public accountability demands that the actions of public organisations be publicised to encourage public debate and criticism (Mbatha 2005:28; Vyas- Doorgapersad and Ababio 2006:392). Banki (1981:97) describes accountability as: "A personal obligation, liability or answerability of an official or employee to give his superior a desired report of the quantity and quality of action and decision in the performance of responsibility”.

(b) Openness and transparency

Openness and transparency concern the extent to which the functioning of government organisations is open to public scrutiny (Vyas-Doorgapersad and Ababio 2006:391-393; Schwella, Burger, Fox and Müller 1996:16 and Mbatha 2005:27). There should be mechanisms in place to ensure that all public processes and programmes are open and transparent to the public.

(c) Representation

The Constitution 1996 (Section 195 [I]) stipulates that public organisations must reflect the composition of the population in management positions and in other occupational groups (Vyas-Doorgapersad and Ababio 2006:392). The Employment Equity Act 1998 (Act 55 of 1998), seeks to eliminate unfair discrimination in employment, and to provide for affirmative action to redress the

- 93 -

imbalances of the past and create equality in employment. This legislation is drafted with a view to advancing those groups that have been disadvantaged as a result of discrimination caused by laws and social practices, but not with a view to seeking retribution for past injustices.

The purpose of the Employment Equity Act 1998 (Act 55 of 1998) is to achieve equality in the workplace by:

• promoting equal opportunity and fair treatment in employment through the elimination of unfair discrimination; and

• implementing positive measures to redress the disadvantages in employment experienced by black people, women and people with disabilities, in order to ensure their equitable representation in all occupational categories and levels in the workforce.

(d) Responsibility and responsiveness

Responsibility refers to the duty of a person to carry out a certain piece of work allocated to him or her. Responsibility can also indicate the manner in which a person carries out tasks, the values he or she attaches to such tasks, and in what way he or she reflects on the values of other persons that he or she may come into contact with while performing day-to-day tasks (Vyas-Doorgapersad and Ababio 2006:391; Van Niekerk et al. 2001:119; Mbatha 2005:27).

In democracies, one of the objectives of government organisations is to improve the general welfare of the public. For this reason, the actions of political office- bearers and public officials must be to the advantage of the individual as well as the community. If different individuals and interest groups hold different values, it can lead to tension (Vyas-Doorgapersad and Ababio 2006:391; Henry 1980:133; Mbatha 2005:27). Office-bearers and public officials should therefore weigh their values against the possible results of their actions before taking decisions. The

- 94 -

general benefit to the community should be more important than individual or group values and interests.

(e) Legality/Legitimacy

According to Fox and Meyer (1996:73); Mbatha (2005:28) and Vyas- Doorgapersad and Ababio (2006:391-392), legitimacy is the perception among citizens that the government and its actions are legally and morally correct and acceptable. It is vital that the actions of political representatives and public officials contribute to the acceptance of government decisions, programmes and policies.

Professional values entail efficiency, creativity, innovation, competence, loyalty to the trust of the public, and "speaking truth to power". Ethical values comprise public trust, the common good, discretion, honesty and integrity. People values consist of tolerance, moderation, decency, courtesy, respect and courage. Democratic values include loyalty to the executive, accountability, support to the government, respect of the Constitution of a country, the rule of law and due process (Garofalo 2004:9).

Northouse (2001:255) argues that ethics are a key to good leadership because of the nature of the process of influence, the impact that leaders have to establish the values of the organisation and the need and ability to engage subordinates to achieve mutual goals. Ethics, leadership and values are inseparable. Garofalo (2004:4) states that there must be a move in the public sector from a legalistic to an ethical understanding of leadership as a clear moral framework designed to enhance the critical sense of public officials, to promote moral agency in the public interest and to provide a basis for values validation and clarification.

For the purposes of this chapter the term ethics deals with the character and conduct, and the morals of a public official. Regarding the conducting of public

- 95 -

affairs by the public official, it deals with whether the public's business was conducted rightly or wrongly and whether the public official's behaviour was good or bad when the official duties were conducted. Ethics evaluate conduct against some supposedly absolute criteria and impose negative or positive values upon them. These criteria can be in writing (legislation) or could be merely the interpretation of an individual of what is acceptable and what is not. The Public Service Code of Conduct provides guidelines on what is acceptable and good conduct. Democratic values require that public officials act in good faith with the interest of the public at heart. If actions are taken by public officials within the organisation that contravenes these values and morals, the whistle should be blown on the wrongdoings.