Minister wraps up Public Service Month

Friday, September 29, 2017

Minister of Public Service and Administration Faith Muthambi says this year’s Public Service Month reflected not only on how public servants deliver services but also on the challenges they face when they execute their duties.

“During this Public Service Month, we also monitored the levels of service delivery and also listened to the challenges and frustrations that communities go through on a daily basis in accessing services.

“We were therefore focusing on both the public servants and our communities who receive services from government. This is because we acknowledge that in order for public servants to serve our citizens with dedication, we also need to take care of them as an employer. As government, we want to continue to be an employer of choice,” said the Minister.

She wrapped up the month, marked in September, with an imbizo at the Kwaggafontein Community Hall on Friday.

The month was marked under the theme “Together Moving the Public Service Forward: We Belong, We Care, We Serve”.

She said the focus was on the values of the Batho Pele Principles, “a very good programme of our government which demands that public servants put people first”.

Minister Muthambi said the monitoring and evaluation of frontline service delivery allowed government to monitor and evaluate service delivery on the ground.

“We embarked on monitoring and evaluation visits to service delivery points and we are convinced that results of these visits will be able to assist in improving services to communities.

“The importance of quality customer service in the public service cannot be overstated. Citizens are likely to develop perceptions about the public service based on their experiences when they interact with public service officials.

“It is important that public service officials treat citizens with dignity whenever they are to receive public services. In the long run, this programme is expected to improve service delivery and relations between service providers and users,” said the Minister.

She said during her engagement with public servants, colleagues living with disabilities raised various concerns.

“We must have care and compassion for our brothers and sisters living with disabilities. We have agreed that we must look into the idea of organising an Indaba for people living with disabilities.

“As government, we must ensure that we implement our policies when it comes to people living with disability.”

The Minister said the unannounced site visits and deployments to service delivery points were important service delivery mechanisms to improve senior managers’ understanding of the problems at the coalface.

“As we close this public service month today, we must be reminded that the upholding of Batho Pele Principles does not end today. We as public representatives and public servants, must always put our people first.

“We must work together with our communities and other stakeholders to improve the level of service delivery,” said Minister Muthambi. – SAnews.gov.za