RUSTENBURG - The North West province, placed under administration by national government in May, needs the commitment of public servants to turn around its current state of affairs, Premier Job Mokgoro said on Wednesday.
"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 16: 15 I had not already put my handbag over my shoulder. When it is 16:15 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 told public servants in Rustenburg.
Mokgoro was in the Bojanala district of the province to address public servants on issues of good governance and the significance of putting people first.
He appealed to public servants to do their best to deliver services to communities, and work hard for the administration, the national government placed the province under, to be lifted.
National government took over five of the province's departments including the office of the premier under Section 100 (1a) while another five departments were put under Section 100 (1b).
Mokgoro said there was a provision made that if there were weakness in the provincial government, the national government could intervene. He said public service played a major role in the development of the 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 or 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.
Public servants urged Mokgoro to visit their workplace to see for himself the conditions they were working under.
Complaints ranged from them not being provided with safety boots, using their own cars to do their jobs, and not being promoted despite their qualifications.
Selina Segalo, from the department of social development, told Mokgoro that she grew up on a farm and was taught that before a donkey could pull a cart, it should be well fed and should not be sick.
"We are injured premier, we are unfit physically, we are unfit psychologically," said Segalo to the applause of the crowd.
She challenged Mokgoro to make sure the "donkey" was fit to pull the cart.
"I am working at the department of social development, that department is not functional. I wonder whether the premier is aware and what is he doing...We have a responsibility to take care of the people but, we are hazard, we are unfit..." she said.