09 Jul 2023

 Zutshwa will host the launch of the Mind Set Change campaign scheduled for July 20.

Ministry for State President permanent secretary, Ms Goitsemang Morekisi stated on Friday July 7, when addressing ministry staff stationed in Tsabong and Hukuntsi districts, at Tsabong district council.

She said the launch would be beamed to other parts of the country.

Her visit was a follow up to Permanent Secretary to the President, Ms Emma Peloetletse’s recent visit to Tsabong and for her to appreciate firsthand information on the challenges civil servants go through as well as come up with sustainable solutions, to create an enabling environment for staff to deliver.

Ms Morekisi implored civil servants to embrace the Reset Agenda, to position the country to swiftly move towards a high income economy.

In order for that to happen, she said, it was important to retrospect, dissect and examine challenges civil servants encountered to come up with solutions.

Ms Morekisi said she was aware of challenges faced by employees working in the Kgalagaladi area, some of which were raised during PSP’s visit.

She said improvement of working conditions for civil servants was underway but that required planning and resources.

The permanent secretary said government was working on incorporating the Reset Agenda into  daily planning as some aspects of it did not require resources but mindset change for the country to achieve a high income economy.

Civil servants, she said, must see themselves as change agents, and see opportunities in challenges found in their areas of duty, work collectively to achieve mindset change through alignment of government machinery with development of value chains to create wealth for Batswana.

She therefore, said it was critical for civil servants to facilitate institutions to ensure that value chains were created.

Ms Morekisi said cabinet ministers had signed performance agreements with President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, something that had never been done and part of the Reset Agenda was reflected in their annual performance plans. She said a lot of indicators had to be achieved above 95 per cent hence  employees annual performance output must correlate.

On other issues, the permanent secretary appreciated that recurrent budget was spent accordingly. She  however, expressed concern about development budget expenditure as implementation of development projects was sluggish.

She said as part of the Reset Agenda, ministries were being restructured and the Office of the District Commissioner had been elevated to be the overall coordinator of the district. The elevation, she said called for elevation of infrastructure and related resources to suit the office.

Tsabong District commissioner, Mr Bigboy Mangwa appreciated  Ms Goitsemang’s visit to Tsabong District in her first leg of visitations nationwide. He said the country’s Transformation Agenda called for the review of some of the functions of district commissioners.

He said they carried out judicial functions which required legal and health training such as conveyancing of dead bodies.

These functions, he said must be reviewed to possibly be performed by health workers.

“Our duties must be reviewed. Now that the District Health coordinators are available. Let us review functions of district commissioners and package them in line with the Reset Agenda,” he said.

For her part, Hukuntsi deputy district commissioner, Ms Segomotso Nkwane said Tsabong and Hukuntsi districts were unique and boasted rich cultural heritage such Polka dance, Namastaap and unique landscape such as sand dunes as well as wildlife as camels, hence the need to leverage on that.

She appreciated upgrading of Tsabong and Hukuntsi sub districts to districts and the new developments of transforming from Poverty Eradication section to Wealth Creation which would now move to ministry of Entrepreneurship as the Reset Agenda unfolded.

However, she said the district administration tender committee secretaries had not yet been placed in their relevant department as yet and that needed to be fast tracked.

Presenting challenges faced in the district, District Administration Tender Committee secretary Mr Nkoketsang Kalake said they experienced frequent power cuts which impeded apt service delivery. He requested asked for installation of a solar plant that would serve all departments.

He said there was limited office space at district commissioner’s office and departments of Information Services and Broadcasting services, adding that even though they were faced with such, staff strived to deliver. Moreover, Mr Kalake appreciated housing accommodation availed for officers working under district commissioners office though decried housing maintenance.

Meanwhile, he said there was acute shortage of institutional housing accommodation for Department of Information Services and Broadcasting services hence the need to procure housing from Botswana Housing Corporation.

Staff attraction and retention, he said was a challenge as officers were not willing to work in the district due to its remoteness hence the need to put measures in place to attract employees to the area. Some officers, over stayed which needed to be addressed as it had the potential of breeding corruption and other ills.

He said there was a challenge of transport across the departments as the fleet was old and needed to be replaced.

Mr Kalake also called for fast tracking of payment of arrears for delayed promotions across the C band scale.

The permanent secretary was accompanied by Ministry for State President Manager of human resources and administration Ms Matshwenyego Matlapeng, acting deputy director of Information Services, Mr Thebeyame Ramoroka, director of Broadcasting Services Mr Raymond Tsheko, and transformation officer, Mr Bagakolodi Motsamai. ends