Africa-Press – Botswana. Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng has urged civil servants to demonstrate unwavering loyalty to government of the day.
“Civil servants have a duty to uphold the government’s policies, regardless of their personal political beliefs. It is only through loyalty to government that we can ensure that our nation continues to progress,” Minister Morwaeng said.
He was speaking in Francistown yesterday at a retreat for leadership of the Ministry for State President.
He further emphasized the need for the civil service to be an impartial institution that serves the interests of all citizens, irrespective of political ideology.
He explained that the importance of loyalty to government of the day and non-partisanship among civil servants and public servants was critical for several reasons.
Firstly, he said, civil servants were responsible for implementing government policies, regardless of their personal political beliefs, adding that by remaining loyal and nonpartisan, they ensured that policies were carried out fairly and without bias.
Mr Morwaeng also indicated that civil servants who were loyal to government of the day contributed to political stability and continuity.
This ensures that policies and programmes can be implemented effectively and efficiently, even when there is a change in government, he said.
Mr Morwaeng also urged the leadership of the ministry to improve government administration, adding that the Ministry for State President was by nature an apex ministry with the mandate of public administration and government oversight.
“We must lead in building a culture of engagement and liaison with all key stakeholders from different sector of the economy. It is thus imperative that through our ministry’s government communication function, we profile our key stakeholders and manage them to deliver on our mandate and benefit our nation while at the same time abiding to all international obligations,” said Mr Morwaeng.
The Minister also urged the leadership of the ministry to continue to inculcate a culture of national pride, patriotism, Botho and integrity as these values were key in promotion of unity, building future leaders and in the delivery of signature services to the people.
He explained that the Ministry for State President was also key in delivery of national and local activities and service delivery through its governance oversight and administrative functions and institutions.
He said government was committed to elevate the economy from an annual GDP growth of 4.3 per cent to 5.7 per cent and achieving high-income status. Minister Morwaeng said all these required strategic renewal to drive the radical change by eliminating non-value adding ideals and practices. He said the Fourth Industrial Revolution presented an opportunity for digitisation to propel the country’s developmental status to being a knowledge-based economy.
He stated that the delivery of development projects under the Transitional National Development Plan for 2023/2024 was not good as the ministry fell short to deliver that which government had promised Batswana.
He implored the leadership to adopt better approaches to project management, improve projects monitoring, build capacity where necessary and to go an extra mile to deliver all projects this transitional national development plan before March 31, 2025.
Mr Morwaeng also implored the leadership to embrace mindset change to deliver 2024/2025 key deliverables under the ministry and value their work.
In her welcome remarks, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Ms Goitsemang Morekisi raised concern about the slow delivery of the ministry’s mandate.
She said this include timely delivery of projects, financial optimisation and high overtime and revenue collection.
She also raised concern about employee relations such as delay in grievances resolution, high vacancy management, procurement and contract management as well as performance agreements and PDP signing.
In this regard, Ms Morekisi said there was need for an urgent paradigm shift from the way things were done, by identifying and eliminating non-value adding activities and processes in the ministry.
She also informed the retreat that the Ministry for State President has grown too big with an increase of the number of District Commissioners from 12 to 33 as well as the establishment of the National Planning Commission unit, which she said, was a ministry on its own.
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