The Crucial Role of Training in Equipping Public Servants for Compliance, Discretion, and Innovation

Dr Botshabelo Maja highlights the significance of consciousness and mindfulness among public sector officials.

The root cause of various public sector challenges is not merely flawed legislation or its implementation but a lack of consciousness. Using the analogy of driving habits, the speaker explains how unconscious behavior can lead to incidents that may breach the law.

Dr Maja shares personal experiences where actions believed to be against the law turned out to be legal due to misinterpretation. To tackle this issue, training programs are essential to help public servants understand legal contexts and the differences between "must" and "may" in law.

Once employees become more conscious of their actions and the true meaning of the laws, they can focus on execution and innovation, leading to successful outcomes for the public sector.