BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition Group and Member of Parliament for Aoke Langalanga, Matthew Wale, has emphasized the importance of understanding and respecting the boundary between elected representatives and public servants.
Wale made the remarks during the introduction of the Public Service Bill 2025 in Parliament last week, referencing past instances where this boundary was breached, leading to abuse of power and corruption.
He explained that while political governments come and go, their primary role is to provide policy leadership and direction for the country. These policies may be legislated into law, but it is the public service that is responsible for implementing them.
“Once policy decisions are made, it is the public service that must implement them. It is not the role of politicians to directly carry out those decisions.
“This is the boundary between political leadership and the public service—and it must be respected by both for our system of government to function effectively,” he said.
Wale stressed that the public service, being unelected, must not assume the policymaking responsibilities of elected leaders, just as politicians must not interfere in the execution of policy.
“We have witnessed too many cases where this boundary has been deliberately crossed, and in almost all of those, some form of power abuse occurred,” he added.
Wale also underscored the concept of trusteeship, saying that both elected representatives and public servants are entrusted with power and resources on behalf of the people.
“This principle of trusteeship is fundamental to public service. When those in public office, whether elected or appointed neglect or disregard it, abuse and corruption follow,” he stated.
He calls for the principle to be embedded in the ethics curriculum of the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), using real-life case studies to help trainees understand its application in practice.
“A government must have a strong and professional public service bureaucracy. It remains the most efficient, consistent, and rational mechanism for implementing laws, managing public resources, and delivering essential services to citizens,” Wale said.
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