The Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, said the increasing expressions of dissatisfaction by citizens in the form of petitions and service-delivery protests are not only about service delivery but also about the failure of public servants to remain accountable and responsive to the needs of the very people that they are meant to serve.
She was speaking at the Public Service Month engagement with public servants at Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal Province where she also paid a visit to the Port Shepstone Hospital.
She said Port-Shepstone Hospital has displayed more acutely the principles of Batho Pele.
“We cannot help but celebrate with pride when we are reminded of accolades that the Port Shepstone Regional Hospital received in the recent past such as the Overall National Awards for Service Delivery and another award for Workplace Delivery of Medication that were presented to this hospital four years ago by the Public Service Innovation Centre (CPSI).
“The leadership of this hospital clearly personifies selflessness and serving the public good, this is the kind of public servant we have in mind when we talk about the Batho Pele Principles.
“Examples such as this demonstrate that, indeed, Public Service Month gives public servants an opportunity to demonstrate and live the ethos and values of Batho Pele by portraying a visibly positive attitude in service delivery,” Deputy Minister Chikunga said.
She said public servants are expected to be innovative and use public resources effectively and economically, and services rendered to citizens should be without discrimination.
