29 Jan 2014

The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi has told staff of his ministry that disregard for time and colleagues in the work place are detrimental to their success.

The assistant minister said this recently while addressing agriculture staff in Maun, about the importance of respecting not only time but colleagues as well. He said the ministry’s performance had fallen over the years, and currently stood at position 10, something he said was most unfortunate as they were holding the nation’s lives in their hands.

Mr Molebatsi said Batswana relied on agriculture for food and other products, and their ministry was mandated with ensuring they received all the assistance they needed. He urged the staff to make use of diaries and cell phones to set reminders, which would go a long way in managing time and honoring appointments with customers.

The assistant minister beseeched his staff to notify customers well in time if they would not be able to honor appointments and to respond to official letters in time. He said mutual respect among colleagues was important for delivering work. He also urged officers and drivers to desist from abusing government vehicles, more so that they ran their personal errands during working hours.

The assistant minister also urged the staff to desist from working overtime when that could be avoided. He also urged them to use the knowledge they have about HIV and AIDS to stay safe and healthy. In response to a staff member, Mr Nametso Oagile’s comment that lack of fuel and vehicles hindered their performance, he said he would look into the matter.

Mr Oagile had said they had had no fuel in the region for over two weeks. As a result  many vehicles were parked, which meant they could not reach their customers. ENDS