The emphasis placed by the Government of South Africa on managing diversity
was dictated largely by the awareness of its strategic importance to socio-economic development
as well as the desire to promote a high level of efficiency and productivity in the public
service. The Government decided that in order to correct the imbalances of the past, the issue
of management of diversity had to be addressed at the highest level (i.e., the national constitution).
The Constitution specifies that “Public administration must be broadly representative
of the South African people, with employment and personnel management practices
based on ability, objectivity, fairness, and the need to redress the imbalances of the past to
achieve broad representation”.29 In presenting the case for managing diversity, however, the
Government of South Africa strongly noted that the need to develop a culture of diversity
goes well beyond simply maintaining a representative workforce.