The contemporary global landscape is increasingly marked by democratic backsliding, implying an intentional, incremental erosion of core democratic institutions and norms and denotes the process of removing constraints on accountability for democratically elected leaders. Signs of this backsliding are evident in both established and emerging democracies, underscoring the precariousness of the sustainability of democratic principles worldwide.
Reflecting these adverse trends, the Economist Intelligence Unit reports that the average global Democracy Index score declined from 5.44 in 2022 to 5.17 out of 10 in 2024, the lowest score since the index started in 2006, signalling a measurable weakening of democratic resilience.
One of the main drivers of decline in 2024 was the functioning of the government, of which the lack of public sector leadership accountability has undermined public confidence. Among emerging middle-income countries, citizen dissatisfaction with democratic governance is notably high: 66% in Chile, 71% in South Africa, 77% in Colombia, 89% in Peru, and 58% in Sri Lanka. This widespread discontent reflects a generally low level of public trust in national leaders, political parties, and the overall functioning of democracy.
Public sector leadership accountability represents a pivotal challenge for contemporary democracies. Deficits in this area weaken the performance of democratic institutions and fuel democratic backsliding. Rectifying these accountability gaps and meeting citizens’ expectations is therefore indispensable for sustained social and economic development. Public sector leadership accountability can be understood as the duty of individuals and organisations, such as oversight bodies, public administrators, and elected officials, to report transparently on their actions and to assume responsibility for the consequences of those actions.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underscore the centrality of effective and accountable public leadership in achieving sustainable global development. Indeed, the persistence of the challenges addressed by the SDGs, such as poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and weak institutions, can be interpreted as symptomatic of deficiencies in public leadership at global and national levels. In this context, the SDGs not only serve as developmental targets but also as normative frameworks aimed at strengthening democratic institutions and promoting accountable leadership.
Specifically, SDG 11 seeks to promote inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities, while SDG 16 focuses on the promotion of peace, justice, and strong institutions. These goals collectively support the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which underscores the significance of good governance, democracy, and respect for human rights as foundational pillars for sustainable development across the continent.
Prof Liezel Lues, whose research includes Public Sector Management Transitions, in particular the role of leadership accountability, and aims to better understand public sector leaders, but also their role in leading their countries through modern-day crises and volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments.
Public sector leaders within the South African context are constitutionally mandated to adhere to principles of professionalism, ethical conduct, and accountability, as enshrined in Chapter 10 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. These constitutional imperatives are further echoed in national and international policy frameworks. The National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 articulates a vision of “an efficient, effective and development-oriented public service”, emphasising the need for a capable state to drive development. Similarly, the NDP 2030 vision aligns international development priorities with the pursuit of accountable and effective governance within the South African public sector.
Since 2020, public leaders across the globe have been confronted with a series of unprecedented and multifaceted challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the second Trump administration and the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, to mention a few. These challenges have generated profound socio-economic and political repercussions. In addition, protracted crises such as the civil war in Syria, systemic gender oppression in Afghanistan, Venezuela’s deepening economic collapse, and the conflict in Sudan, further exemplify the volatility and complexity of the current global landscape. These developments underscore the urgent need for transformative public leadership and heightened accountability, which have significantly reshaped the expectations, responsibilities, and conduct of public leaders. The evolving global economy appears to demand innovative leadership paradigms and adaptive approaches, increasingly rendering traditional leadership models and conventional practices obsolete.
Similar issues are evident in South Africa, with rising crime, corruption, inequality, health care failures, and infrastructure decline and recent aid cuts. Trust in public leadership is low, and overall trust in government institutions, such as the police, records 22%. This distrust is tied to leadership incompetence, contributing to high unemployment (32.9% in Q1 of 2025), extreme inequality (the highest globally in 2025), and service disruptions like electricity and water shortages, which sparked violent protests and looting in July 2021. South African democracy relies heavily on public sector leaders to address national and international challenges, such as achieving the goals of the NDP, SDGs, managing international relations, and responding to credit rating downgrades, while being rated a flawed democracy by the Economic Intelligence Unit (2022).
Amid this VUCA environment, South Africa’s public sector leaders, more than ever, must navigate unprecedented socio-political challenges. In the research article titled, Exploring Public management accountability toward human resources current issues and new developments, as part of the Working Group VI: Public sector leadership and governance of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), Prof Lues found that public management accountability requires informed public officials (the accountable actor), responsive administrative processes and procedures (the nature of the conduct), the implementation of strategies and application of approaches to the benefit of the public (the accountable forum), and consequences for the non-performance or actions (the nature of the obligation) of public officials. The importance of public accountability and public administration is to warrant that the conduct of public officials is to the benefit of the public good.
Traditionally, a public leader is expected to craft a sustainable vision alongside strategies for achieving that vision, ‘doing the things right’ (efficiency) and ‘doing the right things’ (effectiveness). Public sector leadership accountability and public accountability in particular should matter to everyone because at the most fundamental level, accountability is a cornerstone of any functioning democracy. Without it, the alternative is impunity.
The framers of the South African Constitution recognised its centrality by embedding accountability within the founding provisions and making it an integral part of the democratic project. Beyond its democratic significance, public sector leadership accountability delivers tangible benefits for society, including strengthening good corporate governance; enhancing the management of public finances; lowering the costs of investigating misconduct and misappropriation of funds; and enabling optimal performance and the improved delivery of quality services to citizens.
Although South Africa has made progress towards achieving the goals of SDG 16, the country is still perceived as a dangerous place, with many people believing that crime is increasing and many crimes go unreported. Trust in key institutions has also declined over the years. In the research paper titled, How can public sector leadership advance peace, justice and strong institutions in a VUCA environment?, as part of the Working Group VI: Public sector leadership and governance of IIAS, Prof Lues concluded that South African leaders need to address the structural and systemic flaws of the economy and society with strength of leadership, boldness, visionary thinking and innovative planning. The paper identified several factors to be considered by South African leaders in advancing peace, namely safety and security, trade and industry, job creation and technology. Each of these factors could be seen as a potential risk towards maintaining peace in the country.
Prof Lues’ analysis of South Africa’s public sector leadership since the advent of democracy reveals a recurring pattern of governance within a VUCA environment. The trend suggests that South Africa has not transitioned out of VUCA environments but has rather moved from one to the next, with some leaders exacerbating rather than resolving systemic challenges. High-profile scandals such as state capture, the “Gangster State” allegations, the “Phala-Phala” report, and diplomatic controversies further highlight instances where leadership actions have amplified rather than mitigated national instability.
