Government leads the 2022 annual Thusong Service Centre Week
Government working with communities and social partners countrywide will lead the Annual Thusong Service Centre Week under the theme, Batho Pele Revitalisation- Walking the Talk, taking, place on 19 – 23 September 2022.
The Thusong Service Centre Week forms part of Public Service Month and it aims at promoting the value Thusong Service Centres continue to offer communities, largely by the access they promote to services and information about opportunities. A significant focus will be on the integrated mobile outreach programme and its effectiveness in responding to the needs of the citizens, particularly those who live in the most remote corners of our country.
The activities of the Thusong Service Week will profile the work of public servants particularly front line officials based at Thusong Service Centres and their contribution to the envisioned efficient Public Service, which is putting people first. South Africans are encouraged to visit their nearest Thusong Service Center to explore the array of services offered at their local centres. Thusong Service Centres are one-stop service points which bring government information and services closer to people.
This year marks 23 years since the Thusong Service Centres were introduced to improve livelihoods through information and opportunities. The programme has had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of citizens as it made government more accessible and visible. Basic services required by citizens have been rendered under one roof resulting in improved, consistent and efficient service delivery. Critically, these centres bring government closer to communities, rather than expecting communities to travel long distances at great cost to access services. Economic opportunities aimed at assisting individuals to become active players in the economic life of South Africa have been made available through the centres especially around food gardens housed in many of the Thusong Service Centres. Thusong Service Centres have made it easier for citizens to access ID documents, birth and marriage certificates, computer training, health services and UIF applications.
Various awareness raising activities are lined up from Monday 19 September 2022 to mark the beginning of the campaign and the closing event of the week will take place on Friday, 23 September 2022 at Nophoyi Thusong Service Centre, Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province.
“We call on public servants to continue to ensure that their professional ethics are beyond reproach. The Public Service is committed to the economic and effective use of resources, and to provide services in an impartial, fair and equitable way. We remain committed to ensuring that public servants serve citizens promptly and courteously, while assisting them to make informed choices when accessing services. We are building a public service that is instilled with the culture of innovation, volunteerism and service. We are working to ensure that we provide services in an impartial, fair and equitable way, without bias”, said GCIS Director General, Phumla Williams.
Source: Government of South Africa