Minister Maropene Ramokgopa and Deputy Minister Seiso Mohai presents DPME Budget Vote Policy Statement in Parliament

The Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms Maropene Ramokgopa, accompanied by Deputy Minister Seiso Mohai, today presented the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation’s (DPME) budget vote policy statement in Parliament, Cape Town, South Africa. During the session, the Minister outlined the Department’s priorities for the 2026/27 financial year and welcomed Parliament’s endorsement of the allocated budget of R532.9 million.

“We appreciate that Parliament has consistently affirmed the significance of the Department in improving delivery and welcome the endorsement of the allocated budget to strengthen planning, monitoring and evaluation. This allocation will enable the Department to strengthen its core mandate of coordinating planning across government, monitoring progress on national priorities, and evaluating the effectiveness of key programmes in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030 and the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024–2029,” said Minister Maropene Ramokgopa

The Minister affirmed that in order to strengthen its mandate, the Department is developing a White Paper on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, which is expected to be finalised during the 2026/27 financial year. This policy framework will guide the introduction of legislation that is aimed at creating a coherent national planning system and enhancing accountability across government. 

Although the legislative process is underway, the Department continues to work with stakeholders to strengthen and integrate planning, monitoring and evaluation. In the financial year 2025/2026, the DPME made significant progress in institutionalising the MTDP across government, ensuring stronger alignment between national priorities, departmental plans, and budgets. 

The Department worked closely with the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) to assess 55 national and provincial draft Annual Performance Plans (APPs), marking a shift from compliance-driven to results-based planning.

In the process, the Department continues to enhance its monitoring systems to track the implementation of the MTDP and identify gaps in service delivery. Through this work, the Department produces in-depth bi-annual MTDP performance monitoring reports.  The latest report for October 2025 to March 2026, which has just been finalised, shows that government is making steady progress towards the realisation of the MTDP priorities.

The Department will also produce a mid-term monitoring report assessing the performance of government against the MTDP over the past two-and-a-half years. This will assist government to identify bottlenecks and intervene speedily to drive the implementation of MTDP priorities. 

“Our aim is to make these reports accessible to all South Africans through deliberate efforts to disseminate them widely among all stakeholders, including members of this Parliament,” said Minister Maropene Ramokgopa.

These reports are bolstered by evidence that is derived from frontline monitoring. Over time, the Department has institutionalised the practices and discipline of assessing policy and implementation outcomes through frontline monitoring. “Our view is that plans and policies find real meaning at the frontline of service delivery, where citizens interact daily with the state. The Frontline Monitoring and Support Programme is therefore a cornerstone of the Department’s work to close the gap between policy intent and lived experience,” said Deputy Minister Mohai in support of the Minister’s budget vote speech.

Through integrated, area-based monitoring, visits and citizen engagement, the Frontline Monitoring and Support programme identifies systemic bottlenecks affecting the implementation of the MTDP and supports practical solutions through intergovernmental cooperation.

The Department has also kept the Presidential Hotline alive as a vital mechanism for direct citizen engagement and accountability. During the reporting period, over 2,300 complaints were received affecting national and provincial departments, with a 72 percent resolution rate.

Following the integration of Department of Public Enterprises functions, the DPME has established a dedicated State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Reform Unit to strengthen governance and oversight.

The Unit is working with key stakeholders to drive the rationalisation and restructuring of 26 major SOEs to improve service delivery and reduce fiscal risks.  The DPME continues to build a strong evidence ecosystem to support policymaking and improve outcomes. Some of the key developments include:

• The revision of the National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF 2025) to maintain standards on how evaluations are planned, conducted and used across all spheres of government.
• The launch of South Africa’s first AI-powered Living Evidence Map on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) to improve the use of data and evidence in addressing this complex societal challenge.
• The completion of a five-year review and expenditure analysis of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF.

The Department is of the view that effective planning and evaluation needs to be anchored in credible evidence, rigorous research and continuous learning. In this regard, the Department has prioritised efforts to strengthen collaboration between government, the academic and research community.

During the past financial year, the Department coordinated and sustained strategic partnerships with universities and professional bodies such as the National School of Government (NSG), the Public Service Commission (PSC), University of Pretoria, University of Johannesburg, University of Venda, and the Public Service Education and Training Authority (PSETA), as well as forums such as the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) and the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA).

“These partnerships are critical for advancing evidence-based planning, monitoring and evaluation across the state. Through these platforms, government practitioners and academics engage directly on issues of governance reform, institutional capability, development outcomes, and policy implementation,” said Deputy Minister Mohai.  

As custodian of the NDP and MTDP, the DPME also continues to strengthen partnerships internationally to support inclusive growth and development. Recently the Department co-hosted the Global Partnerships Conference with the United Kingdom government to promote inclusive development.

The Department will continue to work closely with Parliament and stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of government priorities and improved service delivery for all South Africans.

Media Enquiries:
Mr Thomas Nkosi
Chief Director: Strategy & Communications
Cell: 079 907 9016
Email: tomnkosi@dpme.gov.za 
Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME)

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