Africa-Press – Botswana. Public servants have been urged to uphold professionalism and ethical standards in order to meet expectations of the public.
The Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng said this in his address to public servants in Francistown on Friday. He noted that professionalism amongst public servants was deteriorating.
The minister reminded public servants that they should serve government, not a political party saying they should develop and deliver public programmes, services, inform policy-making, and provide evidence-based advice to leaders.
“Being a public servant means putting public interests first and ahead of personal interests,” said Mr Morwaeng.
The Minister also cautioned civil servants to desist from actively engaging in politics whilst holding a public office.
“I plead with you to refrain from active politics because that is not your area. Identifying yourselves with any political party while discharging your duties is also wrong,” he added.
He applauded public servants for their hard work during COVID-19 pandemic, adding that if it was not for their effort, the country could have experienced more deaths than it had.
He explained that all financial resources were channeled towards containing the disease because government had a responsibility to make sure that people were protected from deadly diseases such as COVID-19
Mr Morwaeng encouraged the officers to do more with less saying government was running at a deficit because of lack of financial resources.
He therefore urged public officers to double their efforts in supporting the private sector businesses in Botswana through the value chaind development in order to grow the economy.
He said value chains development required civil servants to realise that for the economy to grow at set target rate of 5.7 per cent, they needed to double their efforts, to facilitate wealth creation in the economy through private sector.
“In your different areas of work ensure that you enable and promote locals to excel in their business. We must also support local production by buying as much as possible of whatever is produced locally,” said Mr Morwaeng.
He said government was aware of challenges faced by public officers in and outside their work and was doing its best to address them, citing lack of accommodation and lack of progression as some of the teething problems they faced.
Earlier on, the minister met with Heads of Department where he informed them to do their work without fear or favour.
The minister also briefed officers on some of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s Reset Agenda and urged them to support it.
Francistown District Commissioner, Ms Chabongwa Matseka had informed the Minister that their work was made difficult by some political interference.
She informed the minister that some of the challenges in the town included shortage of drugs in health facilities though they were required to purchase from local pharmacies.
Minister Morwaeng also paid a courtesy call on the Mayor of Francistown, Mr Godisang Radisigo and the two leaders discussed a number of issues particularly those of development.
Mr Radisigo told the minister that there was need for a road that would connect Kgapamadi location in Francistown with Gerald Estate.
He said the project, which would ease traffic congestion in the city and act as a by-pass, was now overdue though leadership understood that lack of funds was still a problem for the government.
However, he told the minister that the council was busy re-ceiling some of the internal roads in Francistown whose design lifespan had elapsed.
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