Urgent steps needed for local authorities

Mmegi Editor | Friday April 11, 2014 11:20

Khwae wanted to know their performance during the financial years 2011 to 2013/14 and in response assistant Minister of Local Government Botlogile Tshireletso made the stunning admission that the local authorities were performing badly in filling vacancies, de-bushing and road maintenance.

Tshireletso further attributed poor performance to high staff turnover in some of the districts. Unfortunately, the response did not specify the figures with regard to vacancies that exist in each of the districts, what was being done to address the problem or indeed whether there was recruitment on-going. These revelations come a few weeks after another story that teachers do not want to work in places like Salajwe, approximately 60 kilometres from Letlhakeng village, resulting in pupils going to school and finding no one to teach them. The failure to fill vacancies by these local authorities not only contributes to high youth unemployment, but also means that residents are forced to travel long distances to access services they could otherwise obtain at home.

It also means that these residents take long to implement their plans since they have to wait for advice, approval, or just the signature of a civil servant. This obviously forces people to relocate to urban areas to seek better services that are provided within reasonable time. We are convinced that the problems experienced by the four districts are common in other places such as the Okavango, Tutume, Borolong, and even those with closer to cities such as Kweneng and South East districts. It is time government does something about the poor working conditions for civil servants in remote areas by availing as many incentives as possible? We are fully aware that there is the Remote Area Service Allowance, but it is clearly not incentive enough. The government should avail allowances for entertainment, motor vehicles and others as additional incentives for civil servants in remote areas.

Officers stationed in these remote areas have indicated that travelling from workstations to their homes is one of the key reasons they do not want to work in rural areas. Others have noted that once deployed in a remote area, progression becomes too slow compared to colleagues in urban areas.  This is another area that the government should monitor if it is indeed committed to taking public service to the people. The distance between one’s work station and their home village should also be considered when those in power make public service deployments. Lastly, nothing should ever justify separation of married couples such as occurs when long distances are created between them.

Today’s thought

“I believe we need to attract a new generation of the best and brightest to public service and I believe that government can be a source of inspiration, not degradation.”

 

 – Andrew Cuomo