Hardworking public servants scoop awards

The public servants who make all-out efforts to render quality services, predominately in the health sector, were honoured at the 7th National Batho Pele Excellence Awards (NBPEA) held at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg on March 24.

April 13, 2022

Fanie Mthupha 7 minutes read

Sindiswa Gede from the Amathole Stutterheim Hospital grabbed the silver prize in the best Covid-19 health worker category.

The public servants who make all-out efforts to render quality services, predominately in the health sector, were honoured at the 7th National Batho Pele Excellence Awards (NBPEA) held at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg on March 24.

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The awards are an integral part of the ongoing strategy to build a capable state and professional public service cadre on which the realisation of Vision 2030 of the NDP depends.

The spectacular festivities were graced with the presence of senior representatives of both government departments and the private sector, including Public Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, Mayor of Ekurhuleni Tania Campbell, Deputy Minister for the Public Service and Administration Dr Chana Pilane-Majake, chairperson of the adjudication panel Oomang Parag, CEO of the Metropolitan Health Group Dr Ali Hamdulay, and heads of departments.

Public Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo conferred the Special Ministerial awards on deserving individuals, who have delivered an outstanding performance in the service of the people.

Also honoured were scores of public servants who dedicate themselves to the service of the public in different departments. These departments included employees in the Department of Health, Public Service and Administration, Department of Social Development and Department of Education.

Representative from the CS Boshomane Accountants, Charity Boshomane, was also acknowledged for the auditing of the adjudication process.

The top achievers are:
General worker of the year
Hlulizitha Eric Buthelezi from the Nkandla Department of Social Development (Kwazulu-Natal) took home the gold award. Raesibe Annah Letsoalo from Tara Hospital in Gauteng and Ponaki Eunice Plaatjie from Thaba Nchu Clinic in the Free State shared the silver award.

Best frontline service delivery employee of the year
Ziphozonke Fortunate Mkhize from the Kwazulu-Natal’s Provincial Department of Social Development in Pinetown won the gold award. She was also the ultimate overall Outstanding Batho Pele Public Servant of the Year, which has only one outright winner across all the categories. For her efforts, she was rewarded with R20 000.

Agnes Segaka Rasesemola from Sunrise View Secondary School in Rustenburg, North West, shared the second prize with Albert Onkabetse Mohitlhi from the Jabu Sakhu School in Taung, North West. They each received R6 000 as a reward.

Ribonnar Deidre from the Western Cape’s Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works finished third, receiving R4 000.

The second prize in the responsive government institution of the year category was a tie between the Gauteng Provincial Government Covid-19 Response institution (represented by Mildred Nkopane (right) and Thabo Masebe) and the Western Cape Disaster Management Centre (represented by Deiner Colin).

Doctor of the year
The gold award was a tie between Dr Phetho Mashaole Mangena from the Mankweng Hospital in Limpopo and Dr Nicholas Ernest Pearce from the Free State Health Department. The second position was also a tie between Dr Mzekelo Godongwana from the Amathole Stutterheim Hospital in the Eastern Cape and Dr Abraham Barry Smith from the National Department of Health.

Covid-19 health worker of the year
Likelepi Leah Lephokwane from the National Department of Health scooped the gold award. The silver prize was a tie between Patricia Effraine Greef from the National Department of Health and Sindisiwe Gede from the Amathole Stutterheim Hospital. The bronze prize went to Palesa Moetsela from the National Department of Health.

Seen here are Mayor of Ekurhuleni Tania Campbell and Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration Dr Chana Pilane-Majake (right) with Ziphozonke Fortunate Mkhize from the Kwazulu-Natal’s Provincial Department of Social Development in Pinetown with the gold award in the frontline service delivery employee of the year category.

Researcher of the year
The only prize to be awarded in this category (gold) was shared by Dr Dakalo Muavha from the Department of Health Limpopo and Dr Jonathan Moustakis from Gauteng’s Lenasia’s Community Health Centre.
Responsive government institution of the year

The gold award was a three-way tie among Sun Rise View Secondary School (represented by Agnes Segaka Rasesemola), the Social Development e-Thekwini Cluster (represented by Nombulelo Carol Gebashe) and the Chris Hani – Baragwanath Academic Hospital (represented by Sadna Balton). The second prize was also a tie between the Gauteng Provincial Government Covid-19 Response Institution (represented by Mildred Nkopane and Thabo Masebe) and the Western Cape Disaster Management Centre (represented by Deiner Colin).

Outstanding Batho Pele Public Servant of the Year
Ziphozonke Fortunate Mkhize from Kwazulu-Natal’s Social Development in Pinetown stole the limelight when she was declared the overall winner.

Masilo Makhura (middle), is a CFO who is recognised for his efforts in receiving clean audits for the DPSA (2015/16 and 2019/20).

Lifetime achiever
Professor Eddie Mhlanga was awarded posthumously (died in March 2022). Mhlanga worked in several key positions as a specialist in the Department of Health in his 40 years of service. He served as an obstetrician and gynaecologist. He served as professor and head of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal. At the time of his death, he was chairperson of the National Committee of Confidential Enquiries into Maternal deaths.

Professor Ephraim Thibedi Mokgokong is a retired former vice-chancellor and principal of the Medical University of Southern Africa, which has been renamed the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. He became the first African to be at the helm of a Medical University in the world (1992-1999). He was a qualified obstetrician and gynaecologist and was the first to be admitted as a Fellow of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of South Africa.

He served the public service for 37 years. Following his retirement, he was appointed chancellor. He continued to teach undergraduate students and specialists and extended the training to other provinces, notably Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga.

In the frontline service delivery employee of the year category, Agnes Segaka Rasesemola (second from right) from Sunrise View Secondary School in Rustenburg, North West, shared the second prize with Albert Onkabetse Mohitlhi from the Jabu Sakhu School in Taung, North West.

Minister’s special Covid-19 awards
Sandile Cele is a bio-scientist from the Africa Health Research Institute in KwaZulu Natal, who isolated the Omicron variant from the Beta variant. South Africa was the first country to report about the Omicron variant in November-December 2021.

Professor Hellen Rees is the executive director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, University of the Witwatersrand. During the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, she was appointed to several national and international committees, some of which she led, thus contributing to the combating of the pandemic.

Professor Tulio de Oliveira is a bio-informatician with over 20 years of experience in viral outbreaks. In December 2020 he identified the new Beta-variant, which has led to the discovery of new variants across the world, and improved scientists’ understanding of the effectiveness of the vaccines.

Professor Mosa Moshabela is the deputy vice-chancellor of research and innovation at the University of KwaZulu Natal. He was the convener of the Covid-19 response team in the province and an Advisor to the Department of Health, working through the Ministerial Advisory Committee.

These are the public servants who won in this year’s prestigious National Batho Pele Excellence Awards held at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, on March 24.

Ministerial specialised fields awards
Masilo Makhura is a CFO who is recognised for his efforts in receiving clean audits for the DPSA (2015/16 and 2019/20), as well as being a recipient of the National Treasury’s Best Compliant Chief Financial Officer of the Year 2020/2021.

Khangelani Sibiya is a teacher from KwaZulu Natal. In 2008 Sibiya founded the non-governmental organisation KWV Tutoring, which provides extra classes in mathematics and science for learners. He uses social trends such as the latest dance moves, songs and sports to illustrate mathematics and science. His quarterly camps assist learners countrywide to improve the uptake and results of these subjects.

Sibiya was recently awarded the Best Global Teacher Award in Dubai for having reached over 25 000 learners countrywide, in addition to the innovative teaching approaches.

The only prize to be awarded in the researcher of the year category was shared by Dr Dakalo Muavha (middle) from the Department of Health Limpopo and Dr Jonathan Moustakis from Gauteng’s Lenasia’s Community Health Centre.

Put the public interest first
Dlodlo said the theme for this year’s awards is biased toward health as they seek to highlight the role played by various categories of workers in the health sector in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

The minister, however, indicated that although they have placed a bias towards health, they have not left out other sectors in the public service that have distinguished themselves in the service of people.

“Being a public servant is the noblest of callings. It demands dedication, selflessness, professionalism and the utmost faithfulness to the principles of Batho Pele; that of putting the people first.

“Public servants have the responsibility to ensure that in the execution of their duties and responsibilities, they adhere to ethical conduct, as well as honouring the provisions of the constitution and other laws of the republic.

Professor Eddie Mhlanga won the lifetime achiever award.

“Employees are required to put the public interest first in the execution of their official duties and to respond ethically to the needs of its citizens. If it is an illegal instruction or decision, public servants have the right to say no and to report such activity to the relevant authorities,” explained Dlodlo.

The minister stated that the public servants honoured on the day demonstrate how public servants can reclaim the trust that some of our people seem to have lost in the institutions of government.

“As we celebrate those public servants who have demonstrated their commitment to the people of South Africa, it would be remiss not to recognise the hard work of the various teams that have gotten us to this eagerly awaited evening, even though it was delayed by the Covid-19 disruptions.

“I take this opportunity to congratulate tonight’s finalists as well as acknowledge the hard work of the many people who have made the evening worthy of the Batho Pele Excellence Awards.”

In the best frontline service delivery employee of the year category, Albert Onkabetse Mohitlhi (left) from the Jabu Sakhu School in Taung, North West, shared the second prize with Agnes Segaka Rasesemola from Sunrise View Secondary School in Rustenburg.

Era of Covid-19
Dlodlo pointed out that in the last two years they have noted the drastic increases in the number of casualties in the public service due to Covid-19, with 276 297 public servants infected as of March 18, 2022. Of these, 1 129 are active and 13 047 have succumbed to the disease.

“We had endured a fierce and destructive storm that had culminated in the Beta-variant of the pandemic. But by standing together, by remaining resolute, the country withstood the storm.

“The current country recovery rate is at 96% (3,590,266 from 3,704,784). The President applauded the people of South Africa for this achievement and for the thousands of lives that have been saved through collective actions.
Dlodlo said the ability for the country to move is due to the work of the dedicated public servants, who not only go the extra mile but do so at great cost savings for the fiscus and in some instances at a great inconvenience to their personal and family lives.

“Many frontline staff who have lost their lives did so after exposing themselves to the serious safety challenges. But they took the risks to ensure that hundreds, if not thousands of citizens, are saved. I wish to thank them for their dedication to caring for our people and for the enormous sacrifices they have made, especially in health institutions where their care resulted in zero deaths.

Hlulizitha Eric Buthelezi from the Nkandla Department of Social Development (Kwazulu-Natal) took home gold in the best general worker of the year category. Raesibe Annah Letsoalo from Tara Hospital in Gauteng and Ponaki Eunice Plaatjie from Thaba Nchu Clinic in the Free State shared the silver award.

“As public servants, our diligence is always a vehicle for speedy and successful recoveries from Covid-19.

“It is because of their selfless efforts that we have moved with some considerable speed to rebuild our economy, restore growth and create jobs.

“We have overcome doubt and cynicism to confront the worst public health threat in living memory. We have shown what South Africans are capable of when we join forces. Let us hold on to that spirit of unity and solidarity.

Let us move forward with determination and resolve. May God continue to bless South Africa and its people.

The minister encouraged public servants to report to the relevant authorities, fraud, corruption, nepotism and any other act which constitutes a contravention of any law.