02 Feb 2015

Tirelo Setshaba participants have been urged to uphold the values and principles of the public service in order to ensure productivity.

Speaking at a workshop that the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture hosted for participants in Kgalagadi South recently, the district's performance improvement coordinator, Mr Mosepedi Mokgolele said participants were expected to handle themselves in a manner in line with prescription of the Public Service Charter.

He encouraged them to act in a good manner because they represented government, adding that an officer’s conduct should be characterised by courtesy, humility and respect for every person, among others.

Mr Mokgolele further said a public officer was a servant of the public and thus had to have regard for public interest, adding that they should offer equal treatment to everyone regardless of gender, religion, origin and colour.

Again, he noted that the public should have access to government officers at all levels.

Furthermore, he said the public were entitled to non-confidential information on the operations of the public service and of the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture.

Mr Mokgolele also said as officers, Tirelo Setshaba participants should be accountable for their performance, success and failures and should be able to admit and correct mistakes.

He also encouraged them to avoid corruption at all cost in order to win and maintain public confidence as well as participate in fighting corruption and report it.

He also said services had to be provided in a continuous manner and that monopoly of information should not be permitted. Also, he said powers should be delegated when sole decision makers were absent.

Mr Mokgolele also advised participants of their duty to be informed saying just like every officer on issues related to the service which included objectives of the ministry, government policies, current National Development Plan, Vision 2016 and others. 

He pointed out that such knowledge enabled officers to better serve the public. Furthermore, he encouraged Tirelo Setshaba participants to adhere to the highest standards of diligence and always do their best and aim for higher levels of productivity.

He indicated that concerns and complaints should be dealt with promptly and thoroughly and that private interests should not interfere with duty.

Mr Mokgolele also noted that Tirelo Setshaba, as the name implied, meant working for the public and had some component of volunteerism, discipline and patriotism, hence participants should display patience and uphold such virtues at all times in order to ensure maximum productivity.

Culture principal programmes officer in the ministry, Mr Nyanga Nyanga said Tirelo Setshaba came about as a realisation that youth unemployment was increasingly becoming a major challenge, therefore bringing along vulnerability in terms of poverty, disease and other social ills.

He said young people’s involvement in different community programmes would not only keep them positively engaged but would also make them productive members of the society, and hence urged prticipants to take the exercise seriously.

He said some of the expectations were that having gone through the programme, young people would be more adaptable to on the job training, have the discipline to come to work on time, positive attitude and be able to make a difference in their own lives.

Again, he said the programme prepared young people, especially self employment. He urged participants to relate well with each other. ENDS