National Departments

The mission of the Department of the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service is to provide efficient and effective civilian oversight over the South African Police Service for safer and more secure communities through community participation, legislation and policy development. The Civilian Secretariat for Police (the Civilian Secretariat) serves as technical advisor to the Minister of Police (the Minister) to evince a transversal civilian oversight capability on the governance, service delivery and resourcing of the SAPS (the Police Service). The vision of the department is a transformed and accountable Police Service that reflects the democratic values and principles of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The Civilian Secretariat performs advisory functions on various matters, including, but not limited to, departmental policy and strategy, legislation, and police performance through conducting audits, communication, community mobilisation on crime prevention, the Integrated Justice System, and international obligations and liaison. The Department's objectives are to: exercise civilian oversight over the Police Service through monitoring and evaluating overall police performance against planned programmes; give strategic advice to the Minister in respect of developing and implementing policies; provide administrative support services to the Minister to ensure South Africa's engagement with relevant international obligations; liaise and communicate with stakeholders; implement a partnership strategy to mobilise role-players and stakeholders to strengthen service delivery by the Police Service to ensure the safety and security of communities; implement, promote and align the operations of the Civilian Secretariat in the national and provincial spheres of government; coordinate the functions and powers of the Civilian Secretariat in the national and provincial spheres of government; promote cooperation between the Civilian Secretariat, the Police Service and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate; and provide guidance to community police fora and associated structures and facilitate their proper functioning.

The mission of the Department of the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service is to provide efficient and effective civilian oversight over the South African Police Service for safer and more secure communities through community participation, legislation and policy development. The Civilian Secretariat for Police (the Civilian Secretariat) serves as technical advisor to the Minister of Police (the Minister) to evince a transversal civilian oversight capability on the governance, service delivery and resourcing of the SAPS (the Police Service). The vision of the department is a transformed and accountable Police Service that reflects the democratic values and principles of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The Civilian Secretariat performs advisory functions on various matters, including, but not limited to, departmental policy and strategy, legislation, and police performance through conducting audits, communication, community mobilisation on crime prevention, the Integrated Justice System, and international obligations and liaison.

The vision of the Department of Agriculture (DoA) is to have sustainable agriculture and food security for all. Its mission is to improve agricultural production to stimulate economic development and food security through sustainable livelihoods; innovative sustainable agriculture; and promotion of access to opportunities for youth, women and other vulnerable groups.

Position or level of authority within an organisation. It refers to management's hierarchical structure, in which different levels of authority and accountability are represented by distinct echelons.

The vision of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is of a South Africa in which all people have access to lifelong learning, as well as education and training, which will, in turn, contribute towards improving quality of life and building a peaceful, prosperous and democratic South Africa. The Department's strategic goals are: effective and efficient governance and management; effective development, monitoring of curriculum implementation and support; improved teacher supply, development and utilisation; effective systems for planning, coordination, information management, assessment and district support; and improved social cohesion in schools and well-being of learners.

The mission of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) is to create an enabling environment for the provision of inclusive communication services to all South Africans in a manner that promotes socio-economic development and investment through broadcasting, new media, print media and other new technologies, and to brand the country locally and internationally. The Department's strategic outcome-orientated goals are to: enable the maximisation of investment in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector and create new competitive business opportunities for the growth of the ICT industry for socio-economic development; ensure that ICT infrastructure is accessible, robust, reliable, affordable and secure to meet the needs of the country and its people; accelerate the socio-economic development of South Africans and facilitate the building of an inclusive information society through partnerships with business and civil society, and the three spheres of government; improve departmental performance and enhance the role of ICT State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as the delivery arms of government; and contribute to the global ICT agenda prioritising Africa's development.

The vision of the Department of Cooperative Governance is the realisation of an efficient and effective cooperative governance system that enables resilient, safe, sustainable, prosperous, cohesive, connected and climate smart communities. To this end, the Department's mission is to lead the Cooperative Governance System in support of integrated planning and implementation across all spheres of government. The Department's mandate is primarily derived from Chapters 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996 as well as the following legislation: the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act 13 of 2005; Municipal Property Rates Act 6 of 2004; Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998; Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000; Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002; Remuneration of Public Bearer's Act 20 of 1998; Sections 100, 139 and 154, Monitoring/Intervention Bill. The Department's mandate is further informed by: Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013; Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF) 2016; National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF); Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003.

The vision of the Department of Correctional Services is to contribute to a just, peaceful and safer South Africa through effective and humane incarceration of inmates, and rehabilitation and social reintegration of offenders. The Department's strategic objectives are: building organisational capacity for enhanced service delivery; effective management of business processes to promote good governance and ethical administration; providing a secured ICT infrastructure and business systems; professionalising for effective human resource management and development; an effective management of remand detention processes to promote conducive participation in court processes; holding remand detainees and offenders in secure, safe and humane conditions; effective case management process; effective incarceration and rehabilitation to protect society; correcting offender behaviour through access to correctional programmes and psychological, social and spiritual services; improving offenders' human development through literacy, education and skills competency programmes; reduced re-offending to contribute to a safer South Africa; providing inmates with appropriate nutritional services; providing inmates with appropriate access to health services; rehabilitating, monitoring and accepting probationers and parolees as law-abiding citizens by the communities; providing offenders with access to restorative justice processes; and effective management and functioning of the parole boards.

The mission of the Department of Transport (DOT) is to lead the development of integrated efficient transport systems by creating a framework of sustainable policies, regulations and implementable models to support government strategies for economic, social and internation..

The mission of the Department of Defence is to provide, manage, prepare and employ defence capabilities commensurate with the needs of South Africa, as regulated by the Constitution, national legislation, parliamentary and executive direction. The Department's strategic priorities are to: halve poverty and unemployment; ensure a more equitable distribution of the benefits of economic growth and reduce inequality; improve the national health profile and skills base and ensure universal access to basic services; improve the safety of citizens by reducing incidents of crime and corruption; and build a nation free of all forms of racism, sexism, tribalism and xenophobia.

The vision of the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) is to be a leader in the transformation of South Africa through economic growth and sustainable development in the energy sector. Its mission is to regulate, transform and promote the energy sector, providing sustainable and affordable energy for growth and development.

The mission of the Department of Employment and Labour is to regulate the South African labour market for a sustainable economy through: appropriate legislation and regulations; inspection, compliance monitoring and enforcement; protection of human rights; provision of employment services; promotion of equity; social and income protection; and social dialogue. The Department plays a significant role in reducing unemployment, poverty and inequality through a set of policies and programmes developed in consultation with social partners, which are aimed at: improved economic efficiency and productivity; employment creation; sound labour relations; eliminating inequality and discrimination in the workplace; and alleviating poverty in employment.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) was renamed on 1 April 2021, from the previous Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF). In June 2019 the DFFE had been established by incorporating the forestry and fisheries functions from the previous Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries into the Department of Environmental Affairs. The DFFE mandated to give effect to the right of citizens to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being, and to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations. To this end, the Department provides leadership in environmental management, conservation and protection towards sustainability for the benefit of South Africans and the global community. The Department's strategic objectives are to: provide leadership, strategic, centralised administration, executive support, corporate services, and facilitate effective cooperative governance, international relations, and environmental education and awareness; promote the development and implementation of an enabling legal regime and licensing/authorisation system to ensure enforcement and compliance with environmental law; promote, manage and provide strategic leadership on oceans and coastal conservation; improve air and atmospheric quality, lead and support, inform, monitor and report efficient and effective international, national and significant provincial and local responses to climate change; ensure the regulation and management of all biodiversity, heritage and conservation matters in a manner that facilitates sustainable economic growth and development; implement expanded public works and green economy projects in the environmental sector; and manage and ensure that chemicals and waste management policies and legislation are implemented and enforced in compliance with chemicals and waste management authorisations, directives and agreements.

The mission of the National Department of Health is to improve health status through the prevention of illness, disease and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, and to consistently improve the health care delivery system by focusing on access, equity, efficiency, quality and sustainability. The National Development Plan (NDP) sets out nine long-term health goals for South Africa. Five of these goals relate to improving the health and well-being of the population, and the other four deal with aspects of health systems strengthening. By 2030, South Africa should have: raised the life expectancy of South Africans to at least 70 years; progressively improved TB prevention and cure; reduced maternal, infant and child mortality; significantly reduced the prevalence of non-communicable diseases; reduced injury, accidents and violence by 50% from 2010 levels; complete health system reforms; primary health care teams to provide care to families and communities; universal health care coverage; filled posts with skilled, committed and competent individuals.

The vision of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is of a South Africa in which we have a differentiated and fully-inclusive post-school system that allows South Africans to access relevant post-school education and training, in order to fulfill the economic and social goals of participation in an inclusive economy and society. The Department's mission is to develop capable, well-educated and skilled citizens who are able to compete in a sustainable, diversified and knowledge-intensive international economy, which meets the development goals of the country. The Department will undertake this mission by: reducing skills bottlenecks, especially in priority skills areas; improving participation rates in the system; correcting distributions in the shape, size and distribution of access to post-school education and training; and improving the quality and efficiency in the system, its subsystems and institutions.