10 Feb 2015

Heads of Departments (HODs) in the North East District have been implored to ensure that government realises its mandate.

This was said by the district commissioner, Mr Rapetse Mathumo while addressing members of the District Development Committee (DDC) on Monday February 9.

Mr Mathumo stated that the Permanent Secretary to the President had, during a recent meeting with the leadership of all districts, implored them to work tirelessly to ensure that their districts played an effective role in helping government accomplish its mandate. 

He said they had been informed that five key priority areas had been identified, those being; the fight against corruption, tackling youth unemployment, improving the country’s education, eradicating abject poverty as well as reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

He pointed out that they had been urged to ensure that their districts’ performance strategies clearly communicated what measures would be employed to ensure success in the five priority areas.

Mr Mathumo thus encouraged HODs to understand that they had a key role to play in this; calling on them to advise the district leadership on how best the issues could be tackled.

He requested that departments report back in the next DDC meeting what actions, strategies and mechanisms they would employ individually to contribute to efforts aimed at achieving the anticipated ideals.

For his part, the council secretary for the North East District, Mr Charles Amos called on HODs to provide direction and enforce accountability in their respective departments. 

He said this was crucial as all public officers had the responsibility to support government’s initiatives, noting that it was important for the information to trickle down to all officers regardless of rank.

Commenting after the briefing, Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) general manager, Mr Abednego Mooka acknowledged the issues as not being new, but noted that the main problem in attaining what they aimed to achieve was in relation to implementation.

He said some departments were having difficulty in implementing projects that could contribute to addressing issues pertaining to the five priority issues because of various reasons.

Mr Mooka said WUC was for instance having difficulty carrying out its core mandate of making water accessible to the nation due to problems surrounding land servicing.

He said had land servicing been made a priority, the organisation would not be encountering some of the challenges it was currently grappling with to carry out its mandate.

Chief education officer, Mr Ookeditse Moyambo attributed the slow pace of most departments in playing a more visible role to lack of ownership of government initiatives by some employees. 

He said junior officers in particular often felt that it was only their supervisors who were expected to make programmes and initiatives successful.

He thus pleaded with supervisors to work hard to bring those under their supervision on board. 

Mr Moyambo noted that inculcating the spirit of ownership would go a long way in making the five priority areas a reality.

Deputy council secretary, Mr Kabelo Gulubane emphasised the need for the district political leadership, particularly councillors, to be taken on board so that they do not feel left out, which may result in some resistance. ENDS