02 Aug 2016

Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Ms Kebonye Moepeng has advised senior officers in her ministry to lead by example.

Adressing officers on D4 salary scale and above recently at the mass media complex, she urged them to always put on their name tags and that they should at all times be proud to be civil servants.

Ms Moepeng said that they had to work together for a common goal and always represent government and the Office of the President effectively.

She urged all officers to drive the mandate of the ministry as enshrined in the National Development Plan (NDP) which acted as a guide adding that their plans should always be aligned with those in the NDP.

“Failure to put our efforts together will result in the whole ministry failing,” she said adding that that government commitment to development had been captured in the Pledge Card which all officers should be aware of.

She advised them to always check the extent to which they were driving commitments of the Pledge Card. 

Officers were advised to inform themselves and always consult and ask for clarity where they lacked information.

Ms Moepeng said officers should work as a team and share information with others so that when they were not available, those remaining behind should be able to continue with service provision.

“Do not feel proud by being ordered while on leave to come back and do something as this shows that you have not shared enough information. You should be sharing information adequately so that when you are not there other officers should be knowing where to get information,” she said.

It is not proper for one to be ordered in the middle of family activities like wedding, funeral or meetings to assist officers they left behind because they failed to provide adequate information, she said.

She said that every time when an officer went on leave, the leave application should be accompanied by acting appointment of officers who shall be manning the fort,  explaining that leave plans should always be availed to supervisors for effective monitoring and planning.

Ms Moepeng advised them against  borrowing money from their subordinates as that might affect the professional relationship between them and the subordinates.

She also advised officers againt indebtedness as this could lead to financial embarrassment which is contrary to some sections of the General Orders and the Public Service Act urging them to promote a healthy life style at all times. 

On the issue of payment of imprest, she said some officers took it as an interest free short loan and she advised accounting officers to take action and deduct it from salaries of defaulting officers. ENDS