WINDHOEK, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Public Service Commissions (PSCs) have commenced a forum in Namibia's capital, Windhoek, to promote collaboration, share best practices, and address common challenges in public service delivery.

The three-day gathering officially kicked off on Monday with delegates from Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the host, Namibia.

Somadoda Fikeni, chairperson of the Public Service Commission of South Africa and the SADC forum, said the delegates share a common goal of improving public service delivery across the Southern African region.

Fikeni said that for this transformation to materialize, a new type of public servant must emerge, "one who is ethical, technically proficient, socially conscious, and deeply development-oriented, equipped with strategic foresight and guided by a profound moral compass."

Developed following an initial gathering hosted by the South African Public Service Commission in May 2024 and a subsequent follow-up meeting in August 2024, the SADC PSC Forum is an initiative to foster collaboration across member states.