Africa-Press – Botswana. An effective and efficient involvement of all in service delivery is critical to bringing government departments, parastatals and private sector to offer a full basket of services in a one-stop shop.
Officially opening the Taking Services to the People event on Friday, Lobatse mayor Mr Aron Ganakgomo said the move was part of government strategic framework to bring services closer to the people. The initiative, he said, was also aimed at enhancing citizen participation, improving service delivery and deepening social cohesion in order to spur local economic growth.
The mayor said the initiative was in line with improving efficiencies in service delivery through enabling citizens to access a variety of services all under one roof without having to travel long distances to different places to get service. This, he noted, was one of the most powerful and effective tools to facilitate the people and accelerate development through enhancement of citizen participation in their own development.
Kgabosele ward councillor, Ms Mathara Moreeng said the goal was to empower residents with information and tools they needed to make informed decisions and plan better for their future as well as stimulating citizen participation in decision-making.
In an interview, 23-year-old Botswana International University of Science and Technology graduate and Lobatse resident, Mr Lefika Raseleka said the event was helpful as he was able to gain exposure to different services more so that he was a fresh graduate who was looking out for opportunities.
Additionally, he said it was very educational and the officers were very patient and generous with knowledge, adding that he was able to gain knowledge to be able to make decisions. However, he said the event should have been marketed more to give people the opportunity to gain knowledge and make use of the useful services, which were offered on the day.
Mr Joseph Bakwena, an 86-year-old Lobatse resident, echoed Mr Raseleka’s sentiments that the event should have been better marketed to enable them to know about it. Nonetheless, he said it was an insightful event because he was able to learn new things. Some of those, he said included learning about the Pine Gel washing detergent which was produced by Batswana company in Lobatse and its uses.
The community outreach activity brought together service providers from across different sectors in Lobatse, which included local government departments, central government departments and private sector including banks and local network service providers who had the opportunity connect with the public to promote their products and services.
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