Pretoria - There is no space for non-performing public office bearers and government officials and those placed in positions of responsibility have to get their act together, says Eastern Cape Premier, Phumulo Masualle.
“Citizens often complain that when they lodge complaints they fail to get responses on time, some things that ordinarily should not take long seem to drag unnecessary in the public service,” Premier Masualle said.
The Premier was speaking at the provincial launch of Public Service Month in Koukamma Municipality on Tuesday.
He said public participation will be key to placing people at the centre of provincial government’s developmental initiatives and stressed the need to listen to people’s experiences of how government services them.
“Let us draw wisdom from their shared experiences … Let us also work harder to ensure that we attend to their individual requests for information.”
He said principle 5 of Batho Pele states that people’s needs must be responded to and the public must be encouraged to participate in policy making as well as in reviewing whether those policies work.
In observing the Public Service Month, the provincial government will this week deal with access and service standards.
“The provision of integrated public services led by departments such as Health, Social Development, the South African Police Services and Home Affairs is key.
“Unannounced visits to public facilities such as primary health care clinics, hospitals and police stations must be encouraged. We must wait in the lines and hear the cries of our people and attend to them,” said the Premier.
In order to ensure performance against set targets, Premier Masualle has signed service delivery agreements with the MEC’s, who in turn have signed agreements with their Heads of Department. –SAnews.gov.za
