24 May 2013

The Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration (MOPAPA), Dr Gloria Somolokae has implored public officers to acquaint themselves with government policies.

Addressing Heads of Departments (HOD) in Francistown on May 23, Dr Somolokae said for them to effectively deliver services, they should be well positioned to explain government policies to the public they serve.

She said there was no way the officers could implement the policies if they were not familiar with them.

Dr Somolekae said policies such as the Poverty Eradication were faced with some challenges, amongst them being wrong mindsets.

She said and the government officers can help in the transformation of such if they were well acquainted with them.

Still on service delivery, the Assistant Minister said although employees are faced with challenges such as shortage of resources, they should work within and around the limited resources to serve the public.

Dr Somolokae encouraged HODs to build winning teams with their subordinates and desist from threatening and intimidating them.

She said supervisors should be approachable but at the same be stern and also be examples of good work ethic.

“As supervisors you must promote a corrupt free service and political neutrality because every Motswana needs your services, irrespective of their political affiliation,” she said.

She also implored the HODs to ensure a directive that categorizes people who should not queue for services is adhered to. These people are the elderly, expectant mothers and people with disabilities.

On other issues, she said she was impressed by the reports she got from the Francistown Poverty Eradication Programme and the committee of People with Disabilities (PWDs).

The Central Transport Organisation (CTO) Workshop Manager, Mr Moagi Mmolawa said some policies need to be revisited as they delay service delivery as they encouraged unnecessary bureaucracy.

He cited that a lot of vehicles from different departments have been at the CTO workshop for a long time because of the bureaucracy in the procurement process.

Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital Manager, Mr Setso Setso, decried lack of accommodation for the hospital staff, adding that some doctors stay as far as Tonota but they are expected to attend emergencies. He complained that government empowerment programmes discriminated against the public officers and as result, they become destitute when they retire from the service.

Mr Setso called on the government to consider allowing its employees to utilize the motor vehicle scheme to purchase tractors because most of them want to become farmers when they retire.

Ms Neo Makopola called on the government not to limit the officers to agriculture business only but allow them to venture into other businesses in order to utilize their talents.

The Assistant Minister promised to take up the issues with other stakeholders. Ends