24 Apr 2017

Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Prince Maele has urged employees under his ministry to accelerate public service innovation for agenda 2030 through team work.
Speaking during the ministry’s  Award Ceremony in Palapye last Friday, Mr Maele said such called for the entire ministry to forge ahead to consolidate and position the ministry as a force to reckon with.
He said the theme, The Future is Now, Accelerating Public Service Innovation for Agenda 2030, could only be achievable ‘if we develop and invest in team building’.
He also said the theme came at a time when government just kick started the National Development Plan (NDP) 11, Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He therefore emphasised on building a formidable team that could propel the national agenda with respect to land, water and sanitation services.

Mr Maele explained that the world was increasingly becoming competitive, therefore his ministry could not succeed without effort, hard work, team work, dedication and exceptional commitment.
He said it remained for the leadership of his ministry to create an enabling environment for employees to unleash their potential.
He said his ministry had had a fair share of achievements and challenges.

Among the successes of his ministry, he said was the Economic Stimulus Programme implementation, standardisation of processes across land boards, decentralisation of some functions to sub land boards, monthly land boards meeting, introduction of waiting lists, operating over lunch hour, revisiting the legal instruments, development of strategic infrastructure and removal of the standard charge.
He however said the ministry was still faced with challenges, citing shortage of serviced land, squatting, urban sprawl into agricultural areas and resistance by land owners to release land for distribution, water shortage, obsolete infrastructure, lack of basic sanitation, decline of both surface and ground water.

He also noted that poor management of projects had also negatively impacted on service delivery, thus costing government millions of pula.
Mr Maele also called on the improvement of staff welfare, adding, ‘as the leadership we should do more to create an enabling environment to bring staff closer to us and create a forum to engage with each other’.
For his part, permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr Thatoyaone Raphaka urged employees to always remember the cornerstone of Vision 2036, NDP 11 and SDGs when they carry out their day to day duties.
He said his ministry was striving to achieve Prosperity for All.

He said the awards  provided an opportunity to celebrate the contribution made by employees in implementing the ministry’s mandate, adding that a total of 65 awards would be given out mostly based on excellence as well as long service and good conduct.
He urged employees to always work together innovatively as a team and always strive for the best.
The area Member of Parliament, Mr Moiseraele Goya commended the management and employees of the ministry for the job well done despite the challenges they faced.

“This ministry would not be what it is without your contribution,” he observed.
He said despite the negative reports from local media, the ministry continued to have the nation’s interests at heart, adding that land and water were the embodiment of wealth, hence posed a lot of challenges.
He urged the land board to approve change of land use, particularly for ploughing fields, adding that Palapye was rapidly transforming into a town. ENDS