With the dawn of democracy in 1994, and the adoption of a new final constitution in1996, a provision was made for an Office of the President, which later became known as The Presidency. Under previous dispensations, the head of government in South Africa were Prime Ministers and State Presidents.

As the executive manager of government The Presidency is at the apex of the system of government in the Republic of South Africa. The Presidency is situated in the Union Buildings, Pretoria, and has another subsidiary office in Tuynhuys, Cape Town.

The Presidency's key role in the executive management and co-ordination of Government lies in its responsibility to organize governance. In this regard, a key aim is the facilitation of an integrated and co-ordinated approach to governance. This is being achieved through creative, cross-sectoral thinking on policy issues and the enhancement of the alignment of sectoral priorities with the national strategic policy framework and other Government priorities.

The Presidency comprises of five political principals: The President, who is the Head of State and Government, The Deputy President, who is the Leader of Government Business (in Parliament), the Minister of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Administration, the Minister of Women, and the Deputy Minister for Planning, Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation.

The Presidency has structures which support governance operations directly: they are the Cabinet Office and Legal and Executive Services.

The Cabinet Office provides administrative support to Cabinet. It implements administrative systems and processes to ensure the overall optimal functioning of the Cabinet and its committees. It also facilitates the management of decision-making processes of the Cabinet and its Committees.

The Legal and Executive Services unit of The Presidency provides legal advice to The President, Deputy President, the Minister, as well as The Presidency as a whole, and is responsible for all litigation involving the political principals.

Legislative and other mandates

The following are the specific constitutional and legislative mandates and policy directives that define the parameters within which The Presidency operates and from which the institution derives its mandate:

Constitutional Mandates:

• The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, as amended, is the supreme law of the Republic. Along with the Bill of Rights, the Constitution forms the legal foundation of a democratic South Africa and sets out the rights and duties of its citizens and defines the structure of the government. The Presidency houses the President and the Deputy President of the Republic, and is therefore a unique institution in the Public Service. It is in this constitutional context that the broad parameters of the role and responsibilities of The Presidency are defined.
• The Presidency exists to service the President and the Deputy President in the execution of their constitutional responsibilities and duties, as articulated in Chapter 5 of the Constitution. Chapter 5 of the Constitution defines the President as the Head of State and Head of the National Executive. His primary responsibility is to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic as well as to promote the unity of the nation and that which will advance it.
• The Section 85 of the Constitution confers the executive authority of the Republic on the President. The Presidency’s strategic posture should as a result reflect these functions of the President and the National Executive he leads.
• The reconfiguration of the Macro-Structure of National Government, in line with the President’s directive enacted under Proclamation No. 44, 2009 in terms of section 97 of the Constitution, impacts on the mandate of The Presidency, as it has brought about the change in the configuration of The Presidency and the service delivery model of the organisation.

The National Macro Organisation Project changed the macro organisation of government in order to give administrative effect to the President’s new Cabinet portfolios and to ensure alignment between the new portfolios and the administrative structures in support of Ministers responsible for these portfolios.

The impact of the new Cabinet portfolios on The Presidency resulted in key legislationpreviously administered by The Presidency being administered by the new Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME). Certain functions and concomitant resources were also transferred, with effect from 1 October 2014, from The Presidency to the DPME, including:

• National Planning Secretariat

• Directorate: Youth Desk and the National Youth Development Agency

Legislative Mandates

A number of Acts then further expand the specific roles and functions of The Presidency and inform its approach to the implementation of its Constitutional mandate, namely: 

Acts administered by The Presidency

• Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers Act, 1997 (Act 92 of 1997).
• The Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act, 1998 (Act 20 of 1998, as amended) provides a framework for determining the salaries, benefits and allowances of public office bearers, and the secretariat to the Independent Commission is located within The Presidency. 
• Executive Members Ethics Act, 1998 (Act 82 of 1998), including the Executive Ethics Code.

Acts administered by others, but with a direct bearing on the work of The Presidency

• The Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act, 2005 (Act 13 of 2005) – the “IGR Act”, establishes a framework for the national government, provincial governments and local governments to promote and facilitate intergovernmental relations and to provide for mechanisms and procedures to facilitate the settlement of intergovernmental disputes.
• The “IGR Act” further seeks to promote corporative governance as espoused by Chapter 3 of the Constitution of South Africa and has informed the formation of the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC), The Cabinet Cluster System, the Forum of South African Director-Generals (FOSAD) and the formation of Inter-Ministerial Committees (IMCs) are also specifically aimed at enhancing coordination and integration across government.
• The legislation that governs formation and work of the Statutory Bodies, (e.g. Infrastructure Development Act (PICC), the BBBEE Act as amended (BBBEE Advisory Council), etc.)

Good Governance Legislation, Regulations and Policy

The Presidency is informed and guided by the good governance framework and all applicable regulatory and legislative prescripts.

In addition, it is noted that most, if not all, Acts of Parliament reference Executive Acts required for their fulfilment. As a result, The Presidency ?plays a transversal and cross-cutting role in supporting the President, the Deputy President and The Presidency itself in dealing with legislation coming from Parliament. 

Policy Mandates

The National Development Plan, Vision 2030 (NDP)

The National Development Plan (NDP), Vision 2030, adopted by Cabinet in 2012, is the visionary blueprint of government, with business and society as collaborative partners. Seeking to eliminate poverty and sharply reduce inequality by 2030, the five key elements of the NDP are: 

1. Inclusive social and economic development;
2. Sustainable investment and growth;
3. Decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods;
4. A capable development state; and
5. Expanding opportunities.

This long-term plan for the country, which cuts across all sectors of society, identifies the critical trade-offs and challenges to be addressed by the country over the period to 2030. The NDP aims to integrate planning and ensure greater policy coherence in government, thus building a common vision of what South Africa could look like in 2030.

Designed as a broad set of programmatic interventions, the NDP proposes a “virtuous cycle” of growth and development, while reducing poverty and inequality. The enablers are strong leadership throughout society, national consensus, social cohesion and a capable state. As the apex department of government and as custodian of the NDP, The Presidency plays a critical leadership and supervision role in galvanising the whole of government and indeed society towards the attainment of the vision of the NDP, Vision 2030.

Giving effect to the longer range planning period of the NDP is a series of 5-year Medium-Term Strategic Frameworks (MTSFs); the MTSF 2014 – 2019 being the first of three such Frameworks following the adoption of the NDP in 2012 and towards the 2030 vision.

Medium-Term Strategic Framework 2014 – 2019 and the 14 Government Outcomes

Aligned to the 15 chapters of the NDP, the MTSF 2014 – 2019 seeks to ensure that the medium-term and short-term planning of government is aligned to the NDP. The MTSF identifies the critical actions to be undertaken during 2014 – 2019 to put the country on a positive trajectory towards the achievement of the 2030 vision. It further identifies indicators and targets to be achieved in the period. Departmental strategic plans must then contain and unpack relevant MTSF commitments, but will also contain additional commitments not in the MTSF.

The role of The Presidency in relation to the MTSF is twofold, namely:

1) To lead the alignment and coordination of the implementation of the strategic agenda of government – all 14 outcomes, through mechanisms such as:

• Formal coordination mechanisms – which should be used sparingly;

• Playing a mediating role where other coordination mechanisms break down;

• The provision of enhanced technical support to clusters;

• Implementing the outcomes of the evaluation of coordinating structures; and

• Assessments of the performance of Ministers in delivering on their MTSF-aligned performance delivery agreements.

2)  In addition to its oversight function, The Presidency contributes to the following MTSF outcomes directly:

• Outcome 12: An efficient, effective and development orientated public service;

• Outcome 14: Nation building and social cohesion;

• The Presidency also contributes to the following MTSF outcomes indirectly:

-    Outcome 2: A long and healthy life for all South Africans;

-    Outcome 4: Decent employment through inclusive economic growth;

-    Outcome 5: A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path;

-    Outcome 6: An efficient, competitive and responsive economic infrastructure network;

-    Outcome 11: Create a better South Africa and contribute to a better and safer Africa and World.

Government Of South Africa