Molale urges local authorities to work together

Patricia Edwin
Staff Writer | Thursday August 9, 2012 00:00

He said this at the opening of the Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) 15th national conference in Francistown this week.

Molale urged those appointed to office to work together with the common goal of providing quality service to the people. Molale was partly responding to a complaint by BALA president Mmachakga Moruakgomo that council chief executive officers (CEOs) and mayors and council chairmen were said to be at loggerheads in some councils. 

The PSP said those who are in high office and do not get along should remember that they are there to deliver services, and if two senior members of a municipality engage in power struggles, it is the clients who suffer the most.

'You should remember that 'when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers'. Partnerships between those elected and those appointed into the offices have to start immediately after the elections,' he said. He further noted that those who are elected into office have a five-year term to deliver on their promises to their electorate and that public servants should compliment the efforts of civic leaders.

'The elected members of government have a short-term to deliver their promises to the people and are hurried to deliver; what public servants should do is support and compliment them, as after the term they will either maintain or exit the office, depending on their performance during their term in office,' said the PSP.

He stressed that leaders in municipalities should work together to increase productivity and excellent service. 'The senior people should work together to ensure that service delivery is achieved. It is about the people and we have to work together, whether we like it or not,' he fired.

Molale told local authorities what was expected of them while in office in no uncertain terms and warned them that their alleged current behavior is likely to cause turmoil.  'The opposite of peace is war and turmoil. If we do not have peace, we cannot have trust and therefore we cannot prosper,' he added. 

He said that there will be no prosperity if there is sensationalism, turmoil and lawlessness. 'The bottom line is that some people are elected and others appointed, but when we are in our work environments, we should submit to meritocracy, accountability and sustainability. People will not trust us if our actions are not based on accountability and transparency,' he said.

Molale observed that leaders are expected to create a framework based on transparency, democracy and accountability to allow for dynamic governance that will benefit the whole system. 'Creating dynamic governance will not happen by chance. It is the result of leadership, intent and ambition. There must be partnership,' he said.