The President’s Wishlist and the Public Servants’ To-Do List

Is The Plan Clear, Asking for the employees (and a Nation)?

Every year, like clockwork, South Africans gather around their TVs, radios, or Twitter feeds to watch the State of the Nation Address (SONA). For those who tune in, whether they will admit it or not expectations are high (cause why then tune in), but you’re never quite sure if you’ll walk away excited or disappointed. President Cyril Ramaphosa takes the stage to tell us what the government has done and what it’s planning to do. It’s a big deal, right? But this year, as I listened, my thoughts drifted to the unsung heroes in this saga: the government employees who actually have to make all this stuff happen.

So, What's the Plan Again?

The President’s speech was, as always, a robust list of objectives, so many that I lost count somewhere around “initiative number 17.” Here’s the thing: if I grabbed a random citizen right after the speech and asked, “Hey, what are the top three things the government is focusing on this year?” I’d probably get a lot of blank stares (or maybe just a rant about load-shedding). And I’m guessing it wouldn’t be much different if I asked a government employee.

Imagine This in the Corporate World

Let’s flip the script for a second. If government were a business, which, spoiler alert, it kind of is, we’d expect clear, concise communication from leadership. Something like a “strategy on a page” that everyone can understand and rally behind. But instead, we get what feels like a 90-minute audiobook with no chapter markers. How are employees supposed to know what to prioritise?

A Little Clarity, Please?

Ronald Reagan once said, “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” Wise words. But here’s the kicker: people can’t do great things if they’re not 100% sure what those things are.

I’m not saying there aren’t government departments that run like a well-oiled machine, I’m sure there’s a shining example somewhere. But overall? Let’s just say the wheels need a bit more grease. And maybe a GPS.

Is It Realistic?

The President stood up there for nearly an hour and a half, rattling off a list of priorities that would make a project manager break out in a cold sweat. Is that really realistic? Can any organisation, even one as complex as a government, focus on that many things at once and do them well? Big corporations with multiple products and stakeholders have cracked the code on this (some of them, at least). Why shouldn’t we expect the same from our government?

The Real MVPs

At the end of the day, it’s the government employees and public servants who have to turn these lofty goals into real, tangible outcomes. They need clarity, direction, and consistent communication, just like any team in a successful organisation. Without that, even the most inspiring speeches risk becoming nothing more than wishful thinking.

So here’s a thought: next year, maybe let’s aim for a strategy that everyone can actually remember—and more importantly, execute. Deal?