Hosted last night, 29 November 2024, at a glittering ceremony on the outskirts of the iconic OR Tambo International Airport, Gauteng, the inaugural National Batho Pele and Innovation Award (NBPIA) displayed South Africa’s Public Service in its splendour.
A medical doctor spearheading life-saving paediatric interventions in a community mostly known for gangsterism, a general worker who understands how a clean environment is part of the healing value chain, a government agency that provides mobile health and wellness services to truck drivers to prevent road accidents and school children’s forays into the world of electric cars were among the nominations that were received in the build up to the NBPIA ceremony.
“[The NBPIA] is not just an event, but a tribute to excellence and a salute to innovation. [The awards are] a resounding affirmation of the extraordinary impact that dedicated public servants have on our lives as millions of South Africans,” Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, said in his keynote address.
Describing the Awards entrants and the winners alike as “as champions of service and architects of progress and the custodians of our hope,” the Minister said this cream dela crème of the Public Service is a reminder of the sacred trust that should guide service delivery accountability and professionalism.
“[Your selflessness] reminds us all of the boundless possibilities that arise when service delivery is driven by integrity, compassion, accountability and a deep sense of duty,” Minister Inkosi Buthelezi added.
Similarly, Public Service and Administration Deputy Minister, Ms Pinky Kekana, conveyed her accolades to the NBPIA entrants, nominees, and winners, particularly acknowledging their efforts in solving the challenges that face county.
“The burden of the South African public servant is serving our people amidst the many challenges that continue to plague our nation,” said Deputy Minister Ms Kekana.
The Deputy Minister explained how the sluggish economic growth that the country is facing deepens poverty and intensifies inequalities and unemployment, hitting women and youth the hardest.
Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Director-General (DG), Ms Yoliswa Makhasi, remarked on how most of the Award entries sought to tackle issues at the coalface of service delivery.
“It gives me much pride when I see [the work] of public servants at grassroot level. However, the prestige of the Awards is not in the glamour and glitter but is about taking the message forward and inspiring other public servants,” said DG Ms Makhasi.
Marking the first time the traditional award ceremonies of the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) and the DPSA are jointly organised under the leadership of the Ministry for the Public Service and Administration (MPSA), the call for nominations and yesterday’s winners were categorised in line with their respective mandates, in addition to the Minister’s Special Lifetime Achievement Awards.