19 Dec 2019

Government has placed land management at the epicentre of its development agenda.

Deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Tshepo Mophuting said as such, it was critical for land authorities to rise to the challenge and use the finite resource in ways that would create endless opportunities for Batswana and extricate them from poverty.

Mr Mophuting was speaking at the Ngwaketse Land Board performance awards ceremony recently.

Mr Mophuting said management and use of land was of paramount importance in determining economic fortunes of the nation.

On performance, Mr Mophuting commended the landboard for rewarding exceptional employees, saying the initiative would inspire many to work harder.

He added that such initiative promoted values including strategic agenda, direction and the ministry mandate.

He indicated that the public service had grown in size, nature and complexity to respond to the increasing and ever changing needs and demands of the modern customer hence encouraged employees to treat each client as special and to provide speedy as well as customer centric service at all times.

Further, he explained the need for public employees to uphold the values that had built the nation thus far, adding any deviations could undermine the gains achieved.

He said the nation’s success story of development from one of the least developed countries to an upper middle income status could not be divorced from the sacrifice, commitment and loyalty of all its people including public servants.

He further remembered and commended former public employees for having laid a solid foundation for the public service.

He said government departments were expected to monitor and account quarterly on issues of strategic planning, implementation, leadership, performance-based reward, attunement of staff, alignment of government wide action, change management and decentralisation of resources, among others.

The landboard chairperson, Mr Marks Mophuting also thanked public officers and board members for their support. He said his organisation had achieved a lot, which he attributed to nothing but selfless efforts of individuals working together towards a common end.

He further dedicated the gift he received to the four subordinate landboards he oversees which include Moshupa, Mabutsane, Kanye and Mmathethe that in appreciation of the support they rendered.

Meanwhile, the landboard displayed how much premium the organisation attached to performance, wellness and innovation by rewarding officers who did well in that regard.

Mr Aobakwe Moilwa stole the show with an innovative records management initiative. Mr Moilwa was further revealed for having sponsored the idea that cast a new light on the way the landboard used to manage records, from his pocket.

In an interview, Mr Moilwa said after realising that their records management was not up to scratch, he developed an idea, pitched it to records managers at the Kanye Records Management who helped with metrics to make it workable. The idea saw the organisation grow from 62 to 75 per cent in records management standards.

He said records were critical pillars for accountability, transparency, decision-making and anti-corruption. With proper records, he said issues like double allocation of land could be avoided.

Among others, the landboard recognised Bakang Ranthoakgale (IT officer-temporary), Thomo Phoko (Tirelo Sechaba), Keduetswe Tselakgopo (intern officer), Irene Monkutlwatsi (driver) and Akanyang Motlhomi (cleaner). Ms Motlhomi was described as living the landboard values. ends