Dube-Ncube takes governance and ethics message to Durban public administration conference
The Higher Education and Training deputy minister is expected on a panel at the 25th SAAPAM conference, where academics and public sector practitioners are weighing how governance shapes growth and service delivery.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Nomusa Dube-Ncube is expected to take part in a panel discussion at the 25th Annual South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) Conference in Durban, where academics, policymakers and public sector practitioners are examining how effective governance advances sustainable development.
The conference runs from 27 September to 3 October 2026 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in KwaZulu-Natal. It is held under the theme “Growth and Sustainability through Improved Governance: Reimagining Institutions, Leadership and Development in a Changing World”.
According to the government’s account of the event, the gathering takes place as South Africa continues to work through questions of institutional capacity, leadership, accountability, service delivery, economic development and public trust. Participants will consider how better governance can support inclusive economic growth, sustainable development, effective institutions and improved public services.
Discussions will also look at the evolving role of local government, and at how municipalities can respond to political, economic, technological, social and environmental pressures while strengthening democratic governance and service delivery.
The programme covers governance, institutions and effective leadership. Local government, democracy and political dynamics. Development planning, service delivery and sustainability in urban and rural contexts. Economic growth, innovation and regional development. International relations, global governance and decolonial development. Higher education governance, decolonisation and transformation. And digital, smart and future governance.
Dube-Ncube’s contribution is expected to draw on her leadership experience across different spheres of government, with a focus on the role of values and ethics in strengthening public institutions and shaping society. The department said she will also speak on the role of higher education in building a national value system that can serve as a mechanism for a societal value and ethics ecosystem.
The conference is being held with the University of Zululand, the University of South Africa (UNISA), the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), the National School of Government (NSG), the Public Service Education and Training Authority (PSETA), the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), the Public Service Commission (PSC), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and Durban University of Technology (DUT).
The collaboration brings together government, academia, professional bodies and other stakeholders to strengthen knowledge and practice in public administration and governance.
This report is drawn from the government’s published summary of the conference and the deputy minister’s expected participation, rather than from the conference record itself.
Source: SAnews (South African Government News Agency), Dube-Ncube to join SAAPAM conference panel on governance and higher education
