- Minister says civil servants should ignore reports of mass firing
- Warns them not to undermine govt but to focus on service delivery
BONGANI MALUNGA
Although expectations may point to a ‘cleaning up’ campaign to make way for new appointees, the government will not bow to external pressure and fire civil servants, the Minister of State, Moeti Mohwasa, has said.
Speaking to journalists and fielding their questions at a press conference in Gaborone recently, Mohwasa stated that the government will not carry out any mass firing of civil servants to address issues of complacency and improve service delivery.
Diligently
He said civil servants should ignore such reports and focus on serving the government of the day diligently.
“We have emphasised that we will not fire anyone,” he said. “I hope I am making myself clear that it is not our intention (to fire anyone). I hope you (journalists) will not misquote me on this.”
This follows widespread reports that dismissals on a massive scale are looming over civil servants.
However, Mohwasa urged civil servants not to rest on their laurels because they have been assured that their jobs are safe. He warned them not to undermine the government and to instead work on improving service delivery in order to advance the nation.
Apolitical civil service
“The expectation is that these people will not undermine the government,” he said. “Whoever undermines the government of the UDC will be undermining the authority we have been given by the people and by extension the very Act that hired them. That will not be tolerated.”
During last month’s handover at the Office of the President, President Duma Boko’s predecessor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, assured him that he was inheriting an apolitical civil service that is ready to serve the new government.