21 Nov 2017

Francistown district commissioner, Ms Chabongwa Matseka has urged government departments hosting youth under the Department of National Service and Internship (DNSI) to train and guide them on all government policies.

Addressing the Francistown Urban District Committee (UDC) recently, Ms Matseka said she had realised that departments use these youth, who were Internship Programme and Botswana National Service Programme (Tirelo Setshaba) beneficiaries without having taught them how to interpret government policies.

“Some of you rely too much on these officers and some even run some of your offices. It is therefore important that you equip them with relevant and necessary information to represent your departments well,” she noted.

Ms Matseka further said interns and Tirelo Setshaba beneficiaries need to know the products and services their departments offer, and this could be achieved through training and orientation.

Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC) Francistown district coordinator, Ms Minkie Bokole concurred with Ms Matseka, noting that these interns and Tirelo Setshaba participants were often straight from school and therefore had to learn on the job.

She noted that her ministry cannot orientate them on behalf of departments at government institutions such as the Public Service College but rather rely on host departments to ensure that they were taught the mandate of their areas of work.

Ms Bokole said it was worrisome that some departments use these officers for personal errands without teaching them the core mandate of their service and decried the lack of attendance by supervisors whenever they host consultative meetings to iron out pending and burning issues.

Francistown City Council (FCC) Town Clerk, Mr Mompati Seleka said he had realised that it was not only the interns and Tirelo Setshaba participants who sometimes do not understand their departments’ mandate, but it does occur across the public service amongst permanent officers.

He said there was need for all departments to orientate the officers, noting that it was about time inductions for new officers were carried out as they were once orientated into their jobs back in the days.

Department of Cooperatives Development, Mr Goloswang Ramogala said the departments were relying heavily on these interns and there was need to pass them through the Public Service College.

Meanwhile, Ms Matseka urged departments to attend Kgotla meetings addressed by Members of Parliament as well as ministers and ensure concerns raised by residents at such were responded to promptly.

She said failure to respond to grievances and concerns often cause the residents to become angry and the departments would not find it pleasurable to serve an angry customer. ENDS