21 May 2017

Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Mr Thato Kwerepe has commended public officers for continuing to serve the public amid challenges.

He said recently when addressing public officers at Kagiso Senior Secondary School in Ramotswa that the country was what it was today due to the commitment and work of public officers.

Nonetheless, such officers continue to face challenges such as shortage of accommodation, national disasters and inadequate salaries yet they continue to roll out services to communities.

“In the midst of all these challenges, you service the community, you reach out to communities,” said Mr Kwerepe.

He said the government appreciated the role the public officers played in the development of the country.

As such, it is the will of the government to improve the conditions of service for public officers including salaries.

However shortage of funds and competing national interests made this  difficult , saying the government continued to engage unions on public officers’ welfare.

He further cautioned the public officers against being active in politics and said they were however allowed to affiliate to parties of their choice.

Mr Kwerepe also challenged officers to deliver the service that met the expectation of their customers.

Earlier when welcoming the assistant minister, Balete paramount chief, Kgosi Mosadi said there was no one who could claim that all was well within the public service.

Kgosi Mosadi said she was hopeful that the proposed review of the Public Service Act would address challenges in the public service.

However she said the amendment should not only focus on addressing government concerns but rather be inclusive of all parties.

During comments, officers among others decried lack of progression and poor working relations between the government and the unions.

A public officer, Mr Sialala Mooketsi said the A and B scales bands were too low adding that when the government increased salaries by four per cent, the amount became insignificant to those in the A and B brackets.

Further he said due to their low salaries, they were almost technically excluded from government services such as government housing and vehicles schemes.

For her part, Ms Idah Lekgoa said nurses seconded to Bamalete Lutheran Hospital were facing many challenges such as lack of accommodation, adding their conditions of services were worse when compared to that of BLH employees. ENDS