Rwanda, South Africa to further relations

A South African delegation led by the Minister of Public Service and Administration, Richard Baloyi, is in the country in a move to further co-operation in improving public service delivery. Rwanda’s Minister of Public Service and Labour, Anastase Murekezi, hailed the commendable potential for capacity building that resulted from the collaboration. “Rwanda has a lot to learn from South Africa in terms of public services delivery, for instance their endeavour to offer quality services to the people, a practice known as ‘people first’,” Minister Murekezi said. Speaking after a joint meeting held at the Rwanda Institute of Administration and Management (RIAM) yesterday visiting Baloyi hailed the bilateral relations between the two countries that has ensured the co-operation agreement. “Our co-operation is aimed at manufacturing home blend solutions to challenges facing us and at sharing knowledge and experience in an endeavour to deliver better services to our population. Particularly in capacity building for our public service sector,” said Baloyi.He noted that despite the similar conflict scenarios in the two countries, bilateral relations and mutual support systems would ensure a shared success. The two respective ministries of public service entered into a mutual benefit agreement in 2002 aimed at developing policy framework for civil society reforms and institutional capacity building through trainings and knowledge exchanges. In the same context, RIAM Rwanda and South Africa public service institution-Palama entered into a regional capacity building partnership. The two institutions partnership project is funded under south-south development initiative by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) with an objective to improve management and leadership of public service. The initiative targets civil servants from all partner states. It also encompasses South Sudan and Burundi, who are all in the process of reconstructing after conflict. Baloyi noted that though the co-operation has been running for the last five years, there was need to revive its operations and implement the plans that the partnership has developed. “We want re-evaluate our work from when we began and to recommit ourselves into implementing the framework that has been set and to carry on with the mutual agreements that are aimed at perfecting both entities,” Minister Baloyi said. Citing capacity building and partnership borne between the two countries’ public service institutions, Baloyi said the ongoing co-operation encourages further exchanges that would ensure learning for both countries. Baloyi hailed Rwanda’s Umuganda practice saying that his country would gain by emulating it. Minister Murekezi noted that Rwanda would continue to learn by sharing experiences with her south African counterparts in order to meet set quality targets. The South African team was hosted to a dinner where a new memorandum of understanding between the two Ministeries was signed. Ends