Improving Performance in the African Civil Service

Most African governments have attempted improving performance of their civil service through reforms. All ended up failing meeting the desired results because of a combination of factors. The Zimbabwean experience is a typical African reforms effort that failed because of both internal weaknesses and external pressures. Since Independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has tried a number of change programmes to improve performance among civil servants. Some of the major reform and revitalization of the public service programmes attempted by the government are blackenisation, performance management, professionalisation. Yet, as shown by Bologun (2003) on African attempts at reforms, there is no evidence that the efforts had any positive significant impact on performance. The Public Service in Zimbabwe has been associated with poor management, corruption, nepotism, poor communication, and rude, frustrated and unsympathetic Civil Servants (Public Service Performance Management Training Manual, 1998). A Civil Servant has been known to be slow in responding to demands and in decision-making.