Departments should not be breeding grounds for corruption - Mokgoro

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MAHIKENG - With 10 months left in his tenure, newly elected North West Premier, Professor Job Mokgoro on Tuesday said he wants to leave a legacy of a solid, caring, and corruption-free provincial government. "What makes me to sleep peacefully at the end of my term is a caring public service," he told journalist after meeting with senior managers of various provincial departments. "Corruption as well as allegations thereof should be a thing of the past, and I wish to reiterate that we will not allow our government departments to be the breeding grounds for corrupt activities." Outlining his vision in the remain 10 months, Mokgoro said his mission was to build a solid foundation for the next coming provincial administration. "I am busy building a solid three-story house but, I do realise I cannot complete it in nine months. I want to build a solid foundation now in these nine months. The historic building you will continue to build beyond this nine months," he said.

"For us to have that solid structure in 2019 going forward you and I have to work together to build this foundation. We need to do things in such a way that there is sustainability."

Mokgoro said the provincial government must regain the confidence of the citizens in the province by delivering services with more commitment and vigour to change the lives of people.

"Public service must be more than just drawing salaries at the end of the month; it should be about doing the community a good service in an efficient, committed, and honest manner. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the growth of a nation."

Mokgoro who ascended to the office on June 22, following the resignation of Supra Mahumapelo, inherited a province under administration with a backlog of service delivery.

He is expected to steer the ship in the troubled province until the general elections in 2019.

Born in Kimberley 70 years ago, Mokgoro was the first director-general of the North West province in 1994, he integrating three government administrations into one.

On Tuesday, he again warned public servants that the party was "over in North West".

He pointed out that appointing people in positions with a particular "mandate" led to departments failing to deliver on their expected functions.

"Mandate is a murderous weapon, it must be discarded."

Public servant managers welcomed him, with Smuts Mathe saying they would support him and urging him to root out corruption.

"Premier we us public servants cannot live together with corruption," he said.

Public servants had also told the premier to investigate departments, where they alleged some top managers at positions of chief directors and directors did not have the relevant qualifications for the positions. They alleged that some were put in their positions with matric certificates as their highest qualification.

Veteran politician Pitso Tolo had been appointed Mokgoro's political adviser and Vuyisile Ngesi has been appointed as his spokesman.

African News Agency (ANA)

