KEYNOTE ADDRESS MEC NOMANDLA BLOEM AT STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION

27 MARCH 2023

UPINGTON

 

Head of the Department

Provincial Commissioner of SAPS

Leadership of the Provincial Community Police Board

Leadership from SANSBOC, SANTACO, SANWIT, Youth in Transport, Leadership from POPCRU, PSA and NEHAWU

Senior Managers, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning

It is a pleasure for me to share space with you at the start of our Strategic Planning Session that will run over the next two days. We have a duty to continuously reflect, appraise and take stock; we must review our collective work as well as re-orientate, refocus and refine our outlook and thus efforts for the year ahead.

The key question is not what we have achieved but whether the masses of our people are better than they were this time in the past year. I implore all of you today, at this session, that we should engage with this process with due respect and care.

 

I want to insist on robust and forward-looking conversations. Let us be honest with ourselves. Let us take a perspective of collectivism rather than constantly speaking from an us – them narrative that literally helps nobody.

 

Welcome to these sessions pointing fingers, blaming, accusing even undermining others, when what we should be doing is understanding the role each one of us play in shaping the culture and context of health and productivity here.

Let us look inwards a little. What are my own failings? What are the ways in which I am not serving in the interest of the organization or even in the interest of my own career development? How are my own responses to work stressors and tensions unhealthy?

How do I react to authority and being led? How does my own poor performance influence productivity? What can I do to create a climate of growth, understanding and support in the workplace?

We will never be able to reach our goals and targets if we do not pull together – if we do not realise and understand, in detail, the role we play in society. We must insist on professional and effective service delivery to the people of the Northern Cape.

 

We have an Annual Performance and Strategic Plan and it is now up to us to ensure that we are creating the context within which all of it is implemented. We, however, need to ensure that our internal policies and procedures are sound and are implemented by the book. The integrity of any organization depends on how well it operates within regulatory frameworks. Our aim must be to continuously strive towards organizational outcomes that are beyond reproach and infallible.

There are several specific places where we need interventions or step up our game. We need Civilian Oversight to boost the sets of research and data we use to make it more current and accurate. We have several tools at our disposal to measure programmatic success, or levels of satisfaction. These need to be the central focus that drives our work and cannot be understated enough.

We have to boost the functioning of the finance unit. In the organization as a whole, we must ensure that we fill critical vacancies and here is a very dire example. This unit must function with greater speed and within the set financial frameworks.

We may not expect any real changes in terms of contracts that are expiring. Are we looking at extending them even if it means month to month.

I would like us to really give attention to our organisational wellness in the year ahead. I am requesting that Corporate Services take careful of engagements here so that we understand what the things are that make people unhappy, but also those things related to wellness and our experience of satisfaction and growth in our workplace. Come up with an annual wellness plan that addresses these issues. I am requesting this plan by the end of April.

As the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison, we have to know our communities, the very same communities that we are from. This must, in turn, inform our programmes and strategies. I will reiterate - our programmes must be informed by the material conditions on the ground.

The raping, killing and maiming of women and children are a daily occurrence in our communities, our people are expecting government to help them, to respond to this scourge and to protect the safety of vulnerable people in our communities.

We have to look at the management potential and direction of the department. Do we have the correct skill sets, knowledge, expertise and leading capacity to ensure we inspire and direct a growing and effective organisation?

I have noted before that high levels of unemployment has the potential to unleash unprecedented civil unrest and instability, even in our province. We are seeing our people are not satisfied with the role we are playing to create jobs, safe spaces or prosperity. We also have a population that will no longer remain quiet when they are dissatisfied.  

As an organization it is our ability to learn and translate that learning into action that will give us the ultimate advantage. We tend to think that, in a traditional organisation, people are producing results because management wants results, but the essence of a high-quality organisation is people producing results because they want the results.

If people really enjoy their work they’ll innovate, they’ll take risks, they’ll have trust with one another because they are really committed to what they’re doing and it is rewarding.

In this strategic planning session, I urge the management of this department to revisit the practice of a regularly meeting “extended MANCOM” structure where you meet with your deputy and assistant directors to ensure more effective and efficient management of the department.

This “extended MANCOM” must be convened once every quarter until we have matured in co-piloting a healthy and productive workspace. This has been asked before. I am giving directive that it is necessary. I want to see the first one convening within a month.  

In his maiden state of the province address the Premier had the following to say about the expectations he has of all civil servants in the Northern Cape, I quote:

“public service have to start asking critical questions, to think and rethink what is it that is lacking, what is mediocre, where do we fall short to become this modern, growing and successful province. We need to confront and challenge the prevailing approaches, strategies, paradigms, comfort zones and attitudes which clearly seem to have been inadequate and falling short in ensuring that objectives are attained and the necessary changes in the socio-economic landscape of our beloved province and its most vulnerable people are realised.

In seeking answers to these questions, we came to the conclusion that despite the challenges, there are some advantages and opportunities that, with collective effort, out of the box thinking, hard work and courage, can become the catalytic agents of our development into a Modern, Growing and Successful province.”

None of our targets are achievable if we do not respect, develop and maintain successful stakeholder relationships. Our programmes and our delivery need to be based on principles of integration and cooperation so that we may achieve results that are more effective and has an improved reach. Even at this time allow me to extend my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to those who work with us so diligently. Our work and efforts are all the more richer for your assistance and guidance.

I wish you all a productive and engaging two days ahead. I am looking forward to all that will emerge from this and give due direction that we have these inputs set as measurable goals for the year ahead.

I thank you