It attributed this decline to a lack of access to government services, a lack of trust in state-run institutions, and individual experiences of corruption impacting the state\u2019s legitimacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Financial services firm PwC analysed this report and said the decline reflected a steady deterioration in the quality of public services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The state\u2019s capacity had been withered away due to corruption and incompetence, resulting in South Africans turning to private alternatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The country\u2019s public sector is also under increasing pressure due to a reduction in funding and resources, making it incapable of providing the quantity and quality of services it once did. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stats SA\u2019s report shows that the decline in government service usage is widespread, spanning all sectors and even relatively well-run institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2019\/20, over 43% of individuals used public transportation services. However, this figure dropped to 37.5% in 2022\/23. The use of public clinics declined from 35,4% to 31,7% in the same period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In contrast, services such as courts (2.4%), public housing services (2.4%), and correctional services (0.5%) were among the least used in 2022\/23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The declining use of government services is shown in the graph below from Stats SA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n South African businesses have engaged the government to help it capacitate key state institutions, particularly state-owned enterprises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) has been working with the government to address the challenges faced in delivering energy, logistics, and crime services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their collective efforts pave the way for third-party train operators to enter the rail logistics market in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Standard Bank Group CEO Sim Tshabalala has even pleaded<\/a> with the government to capacitate the state and thus make it easier to do business in South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tshabala said the country has incredible competitive advantages but has failed to capitalise on them. He called for the state to improve its efficiency and capitalise on them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease improve the quality of our institutions. In the case of South Africa, we use the lovely phrase \u2018Please capacitate the public sector\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome parts of the public sector are excellent, such as the National Treasury and the Reserve Bank. Replicate what is happening in those across the board,\u201d Tshabalala said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease capacitate the state,\u201d he repeated. \u201cPlease professionalise it. Please continue to make doing business easier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, governance expert Dr Harlan Cloete explained that it is not as simple as recapacitating the state and upskilling government employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The lack of capability and capacity is the root cause of many governance failures in South Africa, but there is a deeper issue at play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The government has spent R40 billion in the past decade to upskill its employees and enhance the efficiency of government services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, this has failed to improve access to public services and their quality, resulting in people losing trust in the government and turning to the private sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cloete said the problem is that even if government institutions and state-owned companies are given more resources and employees are upskilled, it is still a toxic environment to work in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A toxic environment, filled with corruption, makes employees less productive and government services less efficient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He explained that, in some cases, the wrong people are employed, and no matter how much the government spends to upskill them, they cannot deliver.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Shaun Jacobs. This article was first published by Daily Investor. Read the original here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dailyinvestor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image-10.png\")
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