Labour Director-General Nkosinathi Nhleko is to unveil a new departmental strategic road map which will shape the future of the department as he approaches the last mile of his fact-finding national tour of provinces.
Nhleko said that once the report was refined into a workable plan, it would be handed over to the Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, the departmental managers, and the Portfolio Committee on Labour for a stamp of approval.
The Director-General was addressing a meeting attended by staff and the provincial management in Rustenburg, North West today (22 August).
Nhleko, who started work in the department on 10 May, said although he does not possess a ‘magic wand’ he was determined to use inputs gathered during his visits to resolve challenges faced by the department that impede the delivery of services in the provinces.
He said once crafted, the strategic plan would clearly define what the department’s existence was about. The plan would be drafted from inputs sourced from his visits to provinces.
“As we define ourselves, we still have a duty to protect the vulnerable workers. We should be mindful of sharks that thrive on the vulnerable. We should be at the fore-front of providing our services including unemployment insurance, workman compensation, public employment services and ensure that these are delivered timeously with speed.
“As a department, we should also be alert that as we carry our our inspection duties we are also able to sustain enforcement,” Nhleko said.
To date Nhleko has visited Department of Labour offices and labour centres in Northern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and the North West. He has also visited the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), a Department of Labour’s business entity.
He is also due to visit Gauteng province this week and later the Compensation Fund, another of the department’s business entity.
Nhleko started his national sojourn to Labour Department’s provincial offices and labour centres in June. He said though operational structures may differ from province to province a picture was beginning to emerge on the extent of challenges faced by the department.
He quoted these as issues around human resources, information communication technology, lack of resources and equipment.
Issued by:
Orpa Mathabe
Cell: 074 821 3313
Page Boikanyo
Cell: 082 809 3195
E-mail: Page.Boikanyo@labour.gov.za
Source: Department of Labour
