The South African public service has a workforce whose full potential has not yet been unleashed. Decolonising human resource management (HRM) is a means to unlock institutional knowledge and capabilities that can contribute to its effectiveness. This article employs a desktop review, and a qualitative lens to explore the extent to which decolonising HRM may enhance the capabilities of the public service to deliver better services. The findings reveal that decolonisation is the process by which indigenous people regain what they have lost through colonisation. They show that Afrocentric epistemologies and philosophies are infused in HRM studies. This opens the way for HR managers to practise these theories and concepts in the workplace. The results reveal that the source of HR managers' performance is humanus, which reflects four key qualities: compassion, caring, kindness and love. They show that HR managers requir