RUSTENBURG - A donkey is a domesticated member of the horse family, it has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years, they are used principally as pack animals or for draught work in transport or agriculture.
After human labour, the donkey is the cheapest form of agricultural power, this is according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Donkeys have a notorious reputation for stubbornness, it is considerably more difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it perceives to be dangerous for whatever reason. Once a person has earned their confidence they can be willing and companionable partners and very dependable in work.
An employee of the North West provincial government, Selina Segalo, has called on Premier Job Mokgoro to ensure that the "donkey" is well fed and fit before it pulls the cart.
Segalo employed at the department of social development, told Mokgoro to ensure that the donkey was taken care of to deliver up to expectations.
Mokgoro was in Rustenburg on Wednesday, to speak to public servants in the Bojanala district, on issues of good governance and the significance of putting people first.
He pointed out that public service played a major role in the development of a country.
"In a developing country the role of a public service is very key...Let us suppose our economy is doing very well, let us suppose we have strong civil society, let us suppose we have strong churches, if we have a poor of weak public service let me tell you we are dead ducks!. We can have all these institutions doing well if the public service is not performing we as a nation are dead ducks," he said.
The premier wanted public servants to change their attitude, work hard and hope national government lifts Section 100 it imposed on the province.
"We can only get out of Section 100 [of the Constitution] by our actions, our deeds, the change in attitude, to make sure that when clock says 4.15pm I had not already put my handbag over my shoulder. When it is 4.15pm I am deeply engaged in my task and want to make sure I finish this task before I go home.
When I am engaged in a task I must not be driven by a clock, I must be driven by the task at hand," he said.
Public servants urged him to visit their workplace to see for himself the conditions they were exposed.
Perhaps Segalo, used the donkey as a metaphor to say they were ready as public servants to serve but, need the bosses to look after them.
"We are injured premier, we are unfit physically, we are unfit psychologically..." Segalo lamented.
Speaker after speaker at the engagement voiced concerns relating to the tools of trade and not been reward or promoted.
They complained about not having a copy machine or access to internet, not being provided with safety gear and yet expected to do their best to deliver service to citizens.
If the donkey is taken care of and earned the confidence of masters, the party would be over in the public service of the North West province.