CYRIL RAMAPHOSA: Moving towards a professional and capable public service OPINION When I was elected to the position of President of South Africa, I said that building an efficient, capable and ethical state free from corruption was among my foremost priorities. Only a capable, efficient, ethical and development-oriented state can deliver on the commitment to improve the lives of the people of this country. This means that the public service must be staffed by men and women who are professional, skilled, selfless and honest. They must be committed to upholding the values of the Constitution, and must, as I said in my inaugural speech, “faithfully serve no other cause than that of the public”.