Public Service and Administration Deputy Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga will on Tuesday address the Annual Thusong Service Centre Indaba in Cape Town.
Through this Indaba, government will celebrate the annual Thusong Service Centre Week campaign, which will run from 16 – 20 September, to raise awareness and showcase success stories about the various integrated services that Thusong Service Centres offer.
This year marks 20 years since the Thusong Centres were introduced by the democratic government in 1999 in order to give marginalised communities access and services closer to them, as well as information and opportunities that government offers.
These centres play a crucial role in bringing government information and services closer to the South African citizenry, enabling them to make informed decisions that can improve their lives.
The Thusong Service Centre Week also falls under Public Service Month, which is celebrated this year under the theme: 'Khawuleza: Taking Services to the People, Batho Pele. We Belong, We Care, We Serve'.
Government will also host the Thusong Service Centre Excellence Awards at the Grand West Casino on 17 September from 17h00 – 22h20. These awards will recognise achievements attained by the Thusong Service Centres countrywide.
Thusong Service Centres are one-stop integrated community development centres, with community participation and services relevant to people’s needs.
The centres were established as the primary vehicles for the implementation of development communication and information and to integrate government services into primarily rural communities.
Government’s vision for Thusong Service Centres is to provide every South African citizen with access to information and services within their place of residence and in each local municipality by 2014, with the purpose of improving the quality of their lives through integrated service delivery. – SAnews.gov.za
