Latest news with #BathoPele
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Gauteng CoGTA sets out vision to improve local service delivery
The Gauteng Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has shared its current focus areas, which include strengthening local municipalities, improving service delivery, and increasing transparency in the public sector. Earlier in May, MEC Jacob Mamabolo met with the Public Service Commission (PSC) commissioner Vusumuzi Mavuso to discuss governance and oversight. During the meeting, Mavuso confirmed that Parliament approved the Public Service Amendment Bill, and that it would be referred to all provinces for consideration. CoGTA has stated that the Constitution and the Batho Pele principles, which promote accountability, openness, and citizen-focused service delivery, guide its approach. In 2023, the department held a Local Government Turnaround Summit attended by representatives from all 11 Gauteng municipalities, national and provincial governments, traditional leaders, and state-owned entities. The summit addressed common challenges facing municipalities and discussed potential solutions under the theme 'Building smart and resilient municipalities of the future'. CoGTA believes municipalities are key to delivering essential services such as water, electricity, and sanitation. The department has identified leadership development, skills training, and ethical governance as areas for improvement. During recent public emergencies – including the Covid-19 pandemic and floods in parts of the province – municipal workers and emergency personnel assisted in providing aid such as food parcels, water, and shelter. CoGTA says it continues to roll out training and capacity-building initiatives for municipal staff. The goal is to improve management practices and responsiveness to service delivery issues. Some municipalities in Gauteng have faced ongoing concerns from residents about infrastructure, service interruptions, and administrative backlogs. The department has not yet provided detailed timelines for when specific improvements might be visible. The Public Service Amendment Bill, if passed by all provinces, would give the PSC a broader role in monitoring performance at the municipal level. This change is expected to affect how accountability is managed across all levels of government. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Gauteng CoGTA outlines plans to improve local government performance
The Gauteng Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has shared its current focus areas, which include strengthening local municipalities, improving service delivery, and increasing transparency in the public sector. Earlier in May, MEC Jacob Mamabolo met with the Public Service Commission (PSC) commissioner Vusumuzi Mavuso to discuss governance and oversight. During the meeting, Mavuso confirmed that Parliament approved the Public Service Amendment Bill, and that it would be referred to all provinces for consideration. ALSO READ: CoGTA has stated that the Constitution and the Batho Pele principles, which promote accountability, openness, and citizen-focused service delivery, guide its approach. In 2023, the department held a Local Government Turnaround Summit attended by representatives from all 11 Gauteng municipalities, national and provincial governments, traditional leaders, and state-owned entities. The summit addressed common challenges facing municipalities and discussed potential solutions under the theme 'Building smart and resilient municipalities of the future'. CoGTA believes municipalities are key to delivering essential services such as water, electricity, and sanitation. The department has identified leadership development, skills training, and ethical governance as areas for improvement. During recent public emergencies – including the Covid-19 pandemic and floods in parts of the province – municipal workers and emergency personnel assisted in providing aid such as food parcels, water, and shelter. CoGTA says it continues to roll out training and capacity-building initiatives for municipal staff. The goal is to improve management practices and responsiveness to service delivery issues. Some municipalities in Gauteng have faced ongoing concerns from residents about infrastructure, service interruptions, and administrative backlogs. The department has not yet provided detailed timelines for when specific improvements might be visible. The Public Service Amendment Bill, if passed by all provinces, would give the PSC a broader role in monitoring performance at the municipal level. This change is expected to affect how accountability is managed across all levels of government. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Gauteng CoGTA targets better performance in local government
The Gauteng Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has shared its current focus areas, which include strengthening local municipalities, improving service delivery, and increasing transparency in the public sector. Earlier in May, MEC Jacob Mamabolo met with the Public Service Commission (PSC) commissioner Vusumuzi Mavuso to discuss governance and oversight. During the meeting, Mavuso confirmed that Parliament approved the Public Service Amendment Bill, and that it would be referred to all provinces for consideration. ALSO READ: City of Ekurhuleni warns residents of fake electricity token scam CoGTA has stated that the Constitution and the Batho Pele principles, which promote accountability, openness, and citizen-focused service delivery, guide its approach. In 2023, the department held a Local Government Turnaround Summit attended by representatives from all 11 Gauteng municipalities, national and provincial governments, traditional leaders, and state-owned entities. The summit addressed common challenges facing municipalities and discussed potential solutions under the theme 'Building smart and resilient municipalities of the future'. CoGTA believes municipalities are key to delivering essential services such as water, electricity, and sanitation. The department has identified leadership development, skills training, and ethical governance as areas for improvement. During recent public emergencies – including the Covid-19 pandemic and floods in parts of the province – municipal workers and emergency personnel assisted in providing aid such as food parcels, water, and shelter. CoGTA says it continues to roll out training and capacity-building initiatives for municipal staff. The goal is to improve management practices and responsiveness to service delivery issues. Some municipalities in Gauteng have faced ongoing concerns from residents about infrastructure, service interruptions, and administrative backlogs. ALSO READ: City of Ekurhuleni empowers artists with social media masterclass The department has not yet provided detailed timelines for when specific improvements might be visible. The Public Service Amendment Bill, if passed by all provinces, would give the PSC a broader role in monitoring performance at the municipal level. This change is expected to affect how accountability is managed across all levels of government. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Capricorn TVET students return from China internship
POLOKWANE – Eight business management students from the Capricorn TVET College have returned after completing a 12-month internship in China, made possible through funding from the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&R Seta). According to college spokesperson Madire Mashabela, this internship forms part of a long-standing partnership with Chinese Culture, which has been offering international opportunities to students since before the Covid-19 pandemic. 'The selection process for this prestigious opportunity was rigorous and fair and involved advertising, recruiting students and submitting their resumes and qualifications. The Chinese Culture and W&R Seta conducted a thorough selection process, including vetting qualifications and health screenings, to ensure the most suitable candidates were chosen.' The programme was fully funded, covering stipends, accommodation and living expenses, giving students a rare opportunity to gain international work experience and exposure to global business practices. For student Matshukudu Katlego Joyce Marole, the experience was transformative and challenging. 'Living abroad came with immense challenges. It was a complete culture shock, unfamiliar systems and being surrounded by total strangers and I quickly realised that independence and self-reliance weren't just optional, but essential. 'I had to manage my finances, adjust to foreign food, and trust my instincts. Even my faith was tested as I had to rebuild a personal relationship with God, away from familiar church support.' She described the work culture in China as very different from South Africa's Batho Pele principles. 'In China, productivity is prioritised over personal values. It was a major adjustment, but it pushed me to grow personally and professionally.' Another intern, Tromocias Kgothatso Moloela, said one of her biggest challenges was the language barrier. 'Even basic tasks like online shopping required translation tools. Culturally, South Africans value open dialogue and freedom of expression. In contrast, I found that Chinese culture places a strong emphasis on following instructions without question.' Despite the hurdles, the internship sparked a strong interest in international trade and entrepreneurship for Moloela. After working closely with the Guangdong Baidesi Group, she developed a passion for the bathroom and kitchen accessories industry, and hopes to partner with companies like the Arrow Group to import products into South Africa for her own business. Marole encouraged other students to embrace similar opportunities with preparation and an open heart. 'Research China thoroughly, embrace your team as teammates, not competitors, and remember, independence doesn't mean selfishness. Unity brings success,' she advised. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Daily Maverick
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Performance management in crisis: can South Africa's governance rise to the challenge?
A few days before Mother's Day I came across a meme that encapsulates the spirit of my mom. It said: 'For Mother's Day my mom would like the activism of her youth to not be for nothing.' I let out a soft chuckle to myself as I shared the meme with my family, knowing the no-nonsense firecracker my mom was in her days as a young political activist, which she continues to be now in her sixties. She is a woman who does not suffer fools and is uncompromising in her pursuit of what is right and equitable. I hosted Mother's Day this year and had my parents and brother over for lunch. The conversation turned to the state of politics in our country and globally as we lamented the general sad state of things. Chief among the problems is the absence of visionary and accountable leadership, which is needed to guide us out of this dark chapter of political regression. Our conversation became spirited as we turned our attention to the lack of performance management and monitoring and evaluation in our country's governance. Dr John Bester, a senior lecturer in the Department of Public Administration at North West University, defines performance management as a 'systematic approach for improving service delivery through evidence-based decision-making, continuous organisational learning as well as a focus on accountability for performance to achieve improved results for the public'. It is hard to believe that we have a Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to do just this, when scant evidence exists of its work and what it has achieved since its establishment in 2010. Ironically, this department was introduced by our most calamitous president, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma. According to the department, its vision is to be a catalyst in achieving national development outcomes and impact in society. Among its values it lists: being a learning organisation; being a dynamic and development-oriented organisation, which continuously strives for excellent performance standards in serving the citizens; being implementation-focused and results-oriented; creating an enabling environment for staff to grow and be innovative; promoting integrity, honesty and ethical conduct among public servants; being disciplined, professional and committed to the fight against corruption; and practising the Batho Pele principles. Although there may be glimpses of this in the work of dedicated civil servants daily battling the odds to try to keep our government functional, evidence of the consistent application of these values is missing as our country limps from crisis to crisis. Our government departments, parastatals and Chapter 9 institutions could certainly all use a shake-up in fostering a performance culture that will ferret out those not meeting their primary objectives of serving the people of South Africa according to standards of excellence and with integrity. The question remains, is our minister of monitoring and evaluation bold enough to decisively meet the imperatives of her department? DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
