09 Jul 2017

Minister of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration says the savingram ref: ENT 1/3/2 VII dated March 2, 2017 from Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism with respect to Friday dress code was meant to convey the message contained in the Permanent Secretary to the President’s circular savingram of August 13, 2015.

Answering a question in Parliament, Mr Eric Molale noted however that Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism chose to make the Friday dress code compulsory, where as PSP’s circular savingram was meant to encourage Batswana to wear national colours as a build up to September 30, 2016.

He said in his view, there was nothing wrong with that. “Wearing Botswana colours by public servants is consistent with the General Orders and the Public Service Act in that section 8 of the Act empowers the Permanent Secretary to the President to make any rules relating to the conduct of the public service including the dress code,” said Mr Molale.

Member of Parliament for Selibe Phikwe West, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse had asked the minister to explain a savingram by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism dated March 2, 2017 in respect of Friday dress code and whether the instruction that workers should dress smart casual in national colours was pursuant to the Public Service Act and the General Orders or any other law. ENDS