A Soweto woman living with HIV for the past 17 years has appealed to government to allocate more resources to help community health workers. She credited health workers for helping her regain her strength.
“I was bedridden and had to make use of a wheelchair to move around. Thanks to the help of the health workers I can move around un-assisted. I lead a healthy lifestyle and will not go around infecting people with the virus. They also assisted me when my family discouraged me about coming out with my status,” she said.
She was making a case for the community health workers during a meeting with senior provincial government officials led by Premier Nomvula Mokonyane on Tuesday in Soweto.
About 5 000 public servants who are on the coal-face of service delivery, among them community development workers, community liaison officers, care givers, community health workers joined government to look at ways in which to improve the challenges faced in their respective programmes.
Mokonyane once again re-iterated government’s commitment to focus on the key priorities such as education, primary health care and building sustainable and cohesive communities. She said this called for a new work ethic in the public service that will ensure government is responsive to the needs of the people.
Accompanied by the MEC for Local Government and Housing Kgaogelo Lekgoro, MEC for Health and Social Development Qedani Mahlangu and their respective Heads of Department, Mokonyane told the gathering that during the Presidential State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma has declared that “this is a year of action.”
Honing in on the topical issue of service delivery protests, Mokonyane said government was committed to reducing the incidents of such violent protests by engaging with communities on regular basis and ensuring that the first points of contact are community development workers, community liaison officers, care givers and community health workers.
“You are the eyes and ears of government and your role is to bridge the communication gap between government and communities and ensure you unblock service delivery challenges in communities. Serving our people is our business and when they (communities) have a problem is our responsibility to assist in addressing them.
“You have joined the public service because you want to be part of change, you want to be part of transformation and you are not in the waiting room to get a senior government post. You have responded to a call to serve our people and be in partnership with government,” Mokonyane said.
Mokonyane acknowledged that lack of resources was still a major concern; she however called on those involved in public services to consolidate their resources to get maximum outcomes. She made an undertaking that the provincial leadership will continue to brief them on a regular basis on government plans and priorities. She urged mayors and municipal managers do so in order to accelerate service delivery and making real the slogan “Kuyasheshwa, Gauteng Working Better”.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
11 March 2010
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za/)
