15 Dec 2013

Employers have over the years, realised that public service employees needed to be motivated so that they could value and love their work.

Senior assistant director in the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM), Mr Nathaniel Tlhalerwa said this at the public service day celebrations launch in Francistown on Tuesday, December 10.

Giving an overview of the celebrations, Mr Tlhalerwa explained that the national celebrations were held in Gaborone in June but they have since decided to nationalise the event and have simultaneous celebrations around the country.

Mr Tlhalerwa said this was done to provide an opportunity for public service officers across the country to feel appreciated and honoured for the work they were doing at their different areas, serving the nation as the key customer. In bringing celebrations to Francistown, he noted that it was also for purposes of assisting in sharing the spirit of the 2013 Public Service day and to sow the seeds of celebrating the values and virtues of being public servants by officers in the regions.

He said the employer wanted to encourage public officers to showcase their talent as way of encouraging happiness within the work place and motivating employees instead of having a feeling of being captives in their work place. The assistant director mentioned that often employees view the employer as a dictator who oppresses them.

Mr Tlhalerwa explained that they wanted the beauty pageant winners to be ambassadors of the public service so that they could act as a stimulus to other officers by sharing the principles of the public service charter.

This, he said, would raise awareness on the concerns raised by the cabinet in the ten points agenda based on the customer satisfaction survey through which the public raised their concerns regarding the poor service standards offered by public officers in the government offices.

Nonetheless, Francistown region officers were urged to start preparations for the next year’s inaugural celebrations in the region so that by June everything would be in place.

He reminded themto start assembling their choirs and any other acts to celebrate their day.

For his part, Mr Public Service day, Mr Fanny Letshwiti implored the officers to work hard in their offices to improve the service standards which Batswana are complaining about, adding that such issues should be a turning point for every officer to improve.

He further noted that ten points should act as a catalyst which would encourage team spirits among officers and encourage continuity.

This, he noted, would address the current situation where at times decision makers leave their offices at once, hence delaying service delivery. ENDS