Ethical leadership versus public service delivery in the context of the South African government.

Abstract

Ethical leadership is a type of leadership that is ideal for any institution. Ethical leadership is lacking in Africa and south Africa is not an exception. Ethical leadership in many aspects globally is misconceptualized but this article focus on ethical leadership in the South African context. South Africa as a developing country has various aspects that seeks to effectively deliver public services and ethical leadership play a major role. South African leaders recently, mobilize public support using the ticket of corruption free and ethical leadership. Ethical leadership and corrupt free leaders does not guarantee effective public services. This article presents a view that leaders must showcase the leadership skills and a calling for leading people without expecting anything in return. Leaders must provide solutions for existing problems in the society. Ethical leadership and corrupt free must not be a standalone phenomenon that leaders use to mobilize public support, they must present their desire to provide public services and service excellence. The objective of this article is to show the difference between ethical leadership and public service delivery. There is a correlation between the two aspects and this article seeks to contribute in addressing the confusion between the two. The study found that most leaders in South Africa portray themselves as ethical leaders in public to gain more support from the public and voters. The study applied mixed research methodology and analyzed the existing data that is related to ethical leadership versus public service delivery.