18 May 2016

Public servants deserve to be celebrated in recognition of their invaluable contribution to communities they serve, the acting Director of the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM), Ms Keba Nyati, said during this the two-day inter-district Public Service Day (PSD) commemoration in Masunga yesterday.

Ms Nyathi said PSD commemorations activities provided a platform for celebration of the acceptance of responsibility by public servants to serve humanity.

She noted that through the various activities lined up for the duration of the commemorations government intends to recognize and appreciate those at the fore-front of delivery.

In addition, she called on all to note that employees are not only vocational beings, but they are also artistic; hence the need to not only focus on appreciating their performance, but also their talents in the form of song and dance, beauty with brains and purpose, as well as poetry, among others.

Ms Nyati further said through excellence awards that form part of the two-day activities, government intends to not only motivate, but also to demonstrate continued commitment to valuing the public servants’ contribution.

“This is done by, among others, encouraging and motivating best performers, supporting improvements in performance, as well as rewarding excellence in work performance and outstanding initiatives and innovation,” she said.

Additionally, she stated that inter-district PSD activities provides an opportunity for districts to showcase ideas and share best practices through the work improvement strategies.

“Districts will showcase ideas and innovations which may be translated into solutions for workplace challenges and innovative improvements for service delivery and customer satisfaction,” she said.

Speaking earlier, Kgosi Thabo Maruje III of Masunga noted that Botswana has over the years been able to develop a robust public service; an accomplishment that he said was worth celebrating.

Kgosi Maruje III paid tribute to countless Batswana who have worked tirelessly and selflessly in their service to the nation, saying the simplicity and humility with which they have served needs to be recognised and appreciated.

The traditional leader also underscored the need for public officers of today to further serve the nation with more dedication particularly because this an era in which nations are need to realise and achieve milestones enshrined in global commitments contained in among others, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ENDS