National Departments

The mission of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is to be an effective, independent and impartial investigating and oversight body that is committed to justice and acting in the public interest, while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and excellence. The aim of the Department is to ensure independent oversight over the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Municipal Police Services (MPS), and to conduct independent and impartial investigations of identified criminal offences allegedly committed by members of the SAPS and the MPS, and make appropriate recommendations.

The mandate of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is to lead on socio-economic transformation and implementation of the empowerment and participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities through mainstreaming, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation. The vision of the Department is of a transformed, inclusive society free from all forms of discrimination and capable of self-actualisation. Its mission is to provide strategic leadership, advocacy and coordination to government departments and the country on mainstreaming socio-economic empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities. The Department's values are tolerance and respect in the workplace, professionalism, continuous learning, integrity, caring, accountability, inclusivity and empowerment.

The mandate of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is to lead on socio-economic transformation and implementation of the empowerment and participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities through mainstreaming, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation. The vision of the Department is of a transformed, inclusive society free from all forms of discrimination and capable of self-actualisation. Its mission is to provide strategic leadership, advocacy and coordination to government departments and the country on mainstreaming socio-economic empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities. The Department's values are tolerance and respect in the workplace, professionalism, continuous learning, integrity, caring, accountability, inclusivity and empowerment.

The mission of the Department of Water and Sanitation is to serve the people of South Africa by: making a positive impact on the country and its people as custodians of its water and sanitation resources, and as innovative and committed partners in the drive for sustainable development; being service- and delivery-orientated; leading its sector and enabling partners with the knowledge and capacity to ensure that all water services are delivered; being committed to innovation and using cutting-edge technology as a catalyst for positive change, connecting its people and enabling them to work anywhere, anytime; and having a heart that values its investment in its people. The Department provides them with a caring and trusting environment that encourages personal development and is a breeding ground for talent. The Department's strategic goals are: to be an efficient, effective and development-orientated sector leader; equitable and sustainable provision of raw water; provision of equitable and sustainable water services of acceptable quantity and quality; and protection of freshwater ecosystems.

The mission of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), is to provide an enabling environment for the sport, arts and culture (SAC) sector to foster an active, creative, winning and socially cohesive nation.

The mission of the Department of Social Development is to enable the poor, the vulnerable and the excluded within South African society to secure a better life for themselves, in partnership with them and with all those who are committed to building a caring society. The Department has the following primary core functions: management and oversight over social security, encompassing social assistance and social insurance policies, which aim to prevent and alleviate poverty in the event of life cycle risks such as loss of income due to unemployment, disability, old age or death occurring; and developmental social welfare services, which provide support to reduce poverty, vulnerability and the impact of HIV/AIDS through sustainable development programmes, in partnership with implementing agents such as State-Funded Institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs).

The vision of the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) is to be a leader in the transformation of South Africa through economic growth and sustainable development in the mining sector. Its mission is to regulate, transform and promote the minerals sector, ensuring that all South Africans derive sustainable benefit from the country's mineral wealth.

The mission of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is to facilitate, influence and support effective planning, monitoring and evaluation of government programmes aimed at improving service delivery, outcomes and the impact on society. The focus of the Department is on the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 using the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) as an implementation and monitoring tool. The MTSF identifies the important actions required to implement the aspects of the NDP for which government is responsible over the medium to long term. Critical government programmes are periodically evaluated to determine the efficiency and effectiveness, as well as their impact, on society.

The mission of the South African Police Service (SAPS), now known as the Department of Police, is to prevent and combat anything that may threaten the safety and security of any community, investigate any crimes that threaten the safety and security of any community, ensure offenders are brought to justice, and participate in efforts to address the causes of crime. The Department's strategic outcome-orientated goals are to: provide police services that will ensure safer communities by reducing the number of serious crimes, contact crimes and trio crimes; increase activities to prevent and combat border crime; increase the percentage of trial-ready case dockets for serious crime, contact crime and trio crime; increase the detection rate for serious crime, contact crime and trio crime, including organised crime and crimes against women and children; increase the conviction rates for serious crime, contact crime and trio crime; enhance African Agenda and sustainable development by deploying members as per Cabinet decision (external deployments); and improve the levels of service delivery and accessibility to services by bringing SAPS service points closer to the communities.

The Restitution of Land Rights Act of 1994 and specifically section 6, sets out the functions of the Commission which in essence frame the mandate of the Commission. These key functions are outlined as follows, to: acknowledge receipt of all claims for the restitution of rights in land; take reasonable steps to ensure that the claimants are assisted in the preparation and submission of claims; provide claimants with information regarding the progress of their claims on a regular basis and upon request; undertake the necessary investigations to understand the merits of the claim; take appropriate steps to ensure that the public are aware as to who is entitled to claim restitution, the limitations and requirements of the Act and the manner in which claims are to be lodged with the commission; and prioritise claims which affect a substantial number of persons or persons who have suffered substantial losses as a result of dispossession or persons with particularly pressing claims.