25 Mar 2013

Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Kenneth Matambo has urged public officers working at Sikwane Border Post to serve people diligently and with respect.

Addressing a staff meeting at Sikwane border post on March21, Minister Matambo said they had been deployed at Sikwane to serve the community, hence the need to deliver service excellence. 

“As government employees, we serve the nation of Botswana”, the minister stressed.

 He further noted that officers at border posts serve as ambassadors of the government because tourists and visitors build first impressions about the country through services provided at border posts.

The minister encouraged officers to provide the best customer service despite the challenges they face in their daily schedules and implored them to work as a team.

He said the purpose of his visit was to get first-hand information of the challenges faced by officers.

Presenting on behalf of the employees, Mr John Molefe outlined challenges that hindered service delivery such as lack of a searching bay, adding that they have to provide service in the scorching heat and other bad weather conditions.

Mr Molefe also decried shortage of office accommodation and housing noting that they have only four houses which are occupied by five officers and other staff have to rent houses in the village.

He asked for an automatic switch for the station generator and an off-road vehicle which could help them during border patrols.

In his response, Minister Matambo pointed out that he has been informed that the border post would be upgraded starting with the construction of the searching bay in the next financial year.

He noted that financial constraints hinder development, and stressed that the government share the little funds it had across ministries with priority given to important development projects.

Acting Commissioner of BURS, Mr Kingsley Kgosidintsi told the minister that Sikwane is one of the non-commercial border posts in the south central region.

Mr Kgosidintsi explained that it acts as the gateway to a number of places in South Africa such as Rustenburg, Madikwe farms and game reserves and that it is also famous for having been chosen by the American First Lady when she crossed into South Africa in 2011. ENDS