Table of headlines

Languages and literacy

1.Editorial

2.Hoyozela

3.Celebrating multi-lingualism in South Africa

4.How I feel about being deaf in a hearing world

5.Understanding the deaf

6.My communications story

7.26 certificates awarded to ABET learners

8.ABET aimed at creating literacy

9. Language and language interaction in South Africa

Staff and staff issues

10.Bradley becomes the first black Registrar

11. Lund commends staff on solid foundation for the future

12.Financial catalytic promoting harmony

13.Managers responsible for power exercise

14.DLA staff raises R2 355 for Casual Day

15.Internet Cafe established to ensure access to information

16.FSPDLA creates multi-media package for emerging farmers

17.The sports tournament

Accommodation

18. SSCs not necessarily corporate centralisation

19. GPG implements SSC project

20. Office security

Health

21.New regulations on public smoking

22.Western Cape HIV/AIDS policy launch

23.Northern Cape HIV/AIDS policy launch

24.Eastern Cape HIV/AIDS policy launch

25.Gauteng HIV/AIDS policy launch

26.KwaZulu-Natal HIV/AIDS policy launch

27.Mpumalanga HIV/AIDS policy launch

28.North-West HIV/AIDS policy launch

29.Northern Province HIV/AIDS policy launch

30.Beyond awareness- gaining knowledge

31.DLA celebrates partnership against HIV/AIDS

Editorial

At the time of writing an analysis of my language understanding by a psychologist indicated that I have the ability to comprehend at least nine of the official languages in this country. To be honest, I was flattered and if this were true I would be over the moon.

When doing the analysis, the gentleman used methods which confuse me more when I try to understand them. But I can say the fact that I am eloquent in one Nguni language and weak in seSotho had a bearing in his conclusions. He also asked me whether I can request food in seSotho among baSotho who do not know my Nguni; and when I said yes he nodded with a smile.

In trying to portray my ability to understand some of the South African languages I will allude to what is happening in my church. Services there are supposed to be conducted in isiXhosa and seSotho. At face value isiXhosa seems to be dominating a lot. Sometimes there are preachers who conduct services in seTswana and sePedi. In such circumstances I have found the message conveyed being lost along the way. Yes, there are interpreters, but I have noticed that an oratory and an emotional talk is very elusive and the interpreters sometimes just run short of words.

When singing the church hymns while looking at the seSotho hymnbook I have discovered that the language is a marvel to listen to. But, on my own I have been unable to read the hymns and come up with the correct pronunciations of the words. I have also been unable to make sense of the message contained therein.

In the same spirit, I have noticed that here in Pretoria in many an occasion whenever an African/Black communicates with anyone who is a fellow African/Black he/she uses seTswana. When it comes to the White people they predominantly use Afrikaans. There is nothing wrong with that because my assumption is that the languages dominate the town. My weak seSotho and Afrikaans have always come to my rescue. To be honest, I have noticed that sometimes I am able to engage intelligently if I find myself in that kind of a situation. That conversation may be in seTswana or Afrikaans. I have achieved this by throwing in some isiZulu, English and Tsotsitaal words. In an Afrikaans conversation I use English words mostly to compliment the meaning of what I am trying to say.

I have also noticed that in the streets of Pretoria there are many other spoken languages. Perhaps, this is because the town is the capital of this country. I am not referring to African languages. There are people from America, Asia and Europe in this town. Given a chance one can be a multi-linguist in Pretoria.

In a week-end newspaper recently I saw an advertisement in which the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology outlining what it has done and what it will be doing in promoting the South African languages. When talking about South Africa's official languages and the country's constitution, the advertisement reminds us that the constitution "… also mentions other languages, such as Khoi, Nama and San, as well as Sign Language. Also, all other languages commonly used by different communities, including German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Portuguese, Tamil, Telegu and Urdu, together with languages used for religious purposes such as Arabic, Hebrew and Sanskrit". To me this means that not only the official languages have to be respected, but all languages that are spoken in this country.

As I now write I am thinking about people who are in a worse position than myself, because of circumstances beyond their control. I am talking about people who can only communicate in one language. This is also true to those who can not even write or read their own languages. In simple terms I say Hoyozela ABET!

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On Heritage Day South Africa's languages were part of the celebration that took place. In our own way in this publication we celebrate the languages by conveying the message contained hereunder in a multi-lingual fashion because our languages belong to us all .

Language expresses our essence. The sum and substance of individuals and communities. It defines the indefinable in us and opens us to others.

Part of our nation’s special bounty is our languages, which together make us the colourful "Rainbow People".

Each language has its words or expressions to articulate the special human qualities that make the world a better place.

Each month on the calendar celebrates one such quality in all the official languages of South Africa.

Polelo e hlalŠa boleng bja rena. Mogopolo le maikutlo a motho le setshaba. E hlaloŠa dilo tŠe sa hlaloŠegego tŠeo di lego ka gare ga rena ebile e dira gore ba bangwe ba re kwiŠiŠe.

Karolo ye bohloka ya maruo a setŠhaba sa rena ke dipolelo tŠa rena, tŠeo mmogo di re dirago "SetŠhaba sa Molalatladi", sa go ba le mebala ye mentŠi.

Polelo ye nngwe le ye nngwe e na le mantŠu goba ditlhagiŠo tŠa yona tŠe kwagatŠago dimelo tŠe kgethegilego tŠa batho tŠeo di dirago lefase gore e be lefelo le le kaone.

Kgwedi ye nngwe le ye nngwe mo kalentareng ye e keteka semelo seo ka maleme kamoka a semmuŠo a Afrika Borwa.

Puo e hlalosa boleng ba rona. Menahano le maikutlo a motho ka mong le ditjhaba ka ho fapana. E hlalosa dintho tse ka hlalosehang tse ka ho rona, mme e re bulele menyetla ho tse ding.

Karolo ya bohlokwa ya leruo la setjhaba sa rona ke puo ya rona, eo le yona e re bopang re le "Setjhaba sa Mookodi" sa mefuta e fapaneng.

Puo e nngwe le e nngwe e na le mantswe kapa mokgwa wa ho ikutwahatsa ka ho hlahisa maemo a batho a ikgethileng e etsang lefatshe hore e be sebaka ho phelwang hantle ho sona.

Kgwedi e nngwe le e nngwe khalendareng e tla keteka maemo ana ka dipuo tsohle tsa semmuso tsa Afrika Borwa.

Puo e tlhagisa boleng jwa rona: bojotlhe le boleng jwa batho le ditŠhaba. E tlhalosa dilo tse di sa tlhalosegeng ka ga rona, mme e re senolela batho ba bangwe.

Bontlhabongwe ba dimpho tse di kgethegileng tsa setŠhaba sa rona ke dipuo tsa rona, tse di re dirang batho ba bantle ba ba tshwanang le "Molalatladi."

Puo nngwe le nngwe e na le mafoko a yona kgotsa dikapuo tsa yona go tlhagisa dintlha tse di kgethegileng tsa motho tse di dirang lefatshe lefelo le le monate.

Kgwedi nngwe le nngwe mo alemanakeng e keteka nngwe ya dintlha tseo ka dipuo tsotlhe tsa semmuso tsa Aforika Borwa.

Lulwimi luveta butsine. Yinhlanganisela nemnyombo wemuntfu kanye nemphakatsi. Luchaza loko lekungachazeki kitsi futsi lusivulela kulabanye. Incenye yesipho lesikhulu selive letfu tilwimi tetfu, letisenta ngekuhlanganisela sibe ngulesive lesihle semibalabala.

Lolo nalolo lulwimi lunemagama nobe tisho letiveta emakhono lasipesheli emuntfu lowenta umhlaba ube yindzawo lencono.

Nguleyo naleyo nyanga kukhalenda igubha lelinye kulamakhono ngato tonkhe tilwimi letisemtsetfweni eNingizimu Afrika.

Luambo lu tandavhudza vhuvha hashu. Zwothe zwi kwamaho muthu nga muthu khathihi na tshitshavha tshothe. Lu talutshedza zwi sa talutshedzei kha rine, lwa dovha lwa ri tana kha vhanwe vhathu.

Tshipida tsha ndeme kha lushaka lwashu ndi nyambo dzashu, dzine musi dzo tangana, dza ri vhumba uri ri vhe "vhathu vha musengavhadzimu".

Luambo lunwe na lunwe lu na maipfi alwo a lu konisaho u bula zwitenwa zwa vhathu zwa ndeme zwi itaho uri lifhasi li vhe lavhudi li dzuliseaho.

Nwedzi munwe na munwe wa kha khalenda, u pembelela ndeme idzo nga nthihi nga nthihi, nga nyambo dzothe dza tshiofisiri dza fhano Afurika Tshipembe.

Ririmi ri hlamusela nkoka wa hina. Nhlangano na ntiyo wa un’wana na un’wana na vaaki va tindhawu. Ri hlamusela leswi nga hlamuselekiki eka hina na ku hi pfulela tindlela eka van’wana.

Xiphemu xa nkoka xa rixaka i tindzimi ta hina leti hi ku hlangana ka tona ti hi endlaka muhlovo wo hetiseka wa vanhu va Rainbow.

Ririmi rin’wana na rin’wana ri na marito ma rona kumbe tinhlamuselo leti ti tumbuluxaka swihlawulekisi swo hlamarisa swa vumunhu leswi antswisaka misava yi va ndhawu leyinene.

Nhwerti yin’wana na yin’wana ya khalendara yi tlangela xin’we xa nkoka eka tindzimi hinkwato ta mfumo eAfrika-Dzonga.

Taal gee uitdrukking aan ons wese: die somtotaal en inhoud van individue en gemeenskappe. Dit omskryf die onomskryfbare in ons en stel ons oop vir ander.

‘n Deel van ons nasie se ryke erfenis is al ons tale wat van ons die kleurryke "reënboognasie" maak.

Elke taal het sy woorde of uitdrukkings om die besondere menseienskappe te artikuleer wat die wêreld ‘n beter plek maak.

Elke maand op die almanak word een so ‘n eienskap gevier in al die amptelike tale van Suid-Afrika.

Ilimi lisetjenziswa ukuveza ubuthina. Lokhu kutjho zoke izinto ezakha umuntu ngamunye kunye nomphakathi. Lihlathulula lokhu okungahlathululeki okukithi, begodu lisivulela ekutjhebisaneni nabanye abantu.

Esinye sezipho ezikulu ezikhethekileko zesitjhaba sekhethu, malimi wethu, nekahlangeneko asenza bona sibe mibala-bala, "isiTjhaba esinguNokhethwako", kwamambala.

Elinye nelinye ilimi linamagama wakhona nofana indlela yokuveza amatshwayo akhethekileko wobuntu enza bona iphasi lekhethu libe yindawo encono.

Enye nenye inyanga ekhalendeni igidinga linye lalawo matshwayo, kiwo woke amalimi wangokomthetho eSewula Afrika.

Ulwimi lubonakalisa ubuntu bethu. Intlanganisela nobuncwane bomntu ngamnye noluntu. Luchaza into enganakuchazwa kuthi, lwenze siviwe ngabanye abantu. Inxalenye yelifa elilodwa lesizwe sethu ziilwimi, ezithi xa zikunye zisenze sibe yimibala "yeSizwe esimiBala-bala".

Ulwimi ngalunye lunamagama okanye iintetho zokuvakalisa ubulunga obubodwa bobuntu obuyakuthi benze ihlabathi libe yindawo engcono. Inyanga nganye yekhalenda ivuyela ubulunga obunye obunjalo kuzo zonke iilwimi ezisemthethweni zasemZantsi Afrika.

Ulimi luchaza isiqu sobuthina. Luyisigqi somuntu nomuntu kanye nemiphakathi. Lukwazi ukubeka lokho okungechazeke ngobuthina luphinde lwenze sikwazi ukuvuleleka nakwabanye.

Esinye sezipho zesizwe sethu yizilimi zethu, ezenza sibe yisizwe esixubile "okothingo lwenkosazana".

Yilolo nalolo limi lunamagama nezisho zalo okusetshenziselwa ukubeka isigqi sobuntu okuyinto futhi eyenza impilo ibe ngcono.

Yileyo naleyo nyanga yonyaka iyisigqi sobunqala bazo zonke izilimi ezisemthethweni eNingizimu Afrika.

(Published courtsey of DACST 1998 - 2000 desk calender)

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Celebrating multi-lingualism in South Africa

Heritage Day is not only an important day in the calendar of my Department, but also for our country as a whole. Annually on this day, we as South Africans are provided with the opportunity to focus sharply on our collective inheritance through celebration and reflection.

During this day we celebrate our rich human quality and attributes, resulting from our country’s cultural and linguistic diversity. This day also provides us with the opportunity to measure our progress in critically examining our inheritance and in developing a framework for the interpretation and representation of this heritage in the future. It is in this context of both celebration and reflection that this year’s Heritage Day focus our collective attention on our common inheritance through the theme "Celebrating Multilingualism in South Africa".

There is a Tsonga poem that says:

Africa – you are a cloth of many colours and many languages.

Our continent is indeed one enriched with many tongues. It has been estimated that the number of languages spoken in Africa range from 700 to 3 000. Many languages exist and are used side by side in our continent as a fact of life.

And here in South Africa we are gathered: descendents from the north, the west, and the east. Bringing with us our cultural and linguistic heritage. And we are proud to stand here today as South Africans where we co-exist in peace in a society where our languages and culture complement each other and where we share a sense of common destiny. One nation, many languages.

The promotion of our multilingualism runs through every aspect of both the formal as well as the informal programme for today’s celebrations. In fact the celebrations started yesterday with a multilingual train which left Johannesburg yesterday evening and arrived here in Pietersburg this morning. On the train passengers representing all official languages including the Khoe and San languages taught one another aspects of each other’s languages. The multiculturalism and multilingualism was enhanced by the diverse South African cultural performances given and indigenous games played on the train. I am delighted to see that this spirit continues today in song and dance performances, storytelling, poetry and multilingual oratory. Our multilingualism is also brought to the fore in how it expresses itself in the practice of our indigenous games.

Let us continue now by reflecting on our linguistic inheritance and on how far we have come in developing a framework for its interpretation and representation now and in the future. Section 6(1) of our Constitution recognizes eleven official languages. They are Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, English, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, and isiZulu. Section 6(2) requires mechanisms to be put in place to develop these indigenous languages.

The constitution views South Africa’s linguistic diversity as an asset. For this reason Section 6(5) further provided for the Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB) that was established by national legislation to promote multiligualism and see to the development and use of not only the official languages but also the Khoe, Nama and San languages as well as sign language. PANSALB also motivates respect for those heritage languages of some sections of our community and for those languages that are used for religious purposes.

The Bill of Rights in the Constitution furthermore, recognises language as a basic human right. It provides that:

"Everyone has the right to use the language and participate in the cultural life of their choice, but no one exercising these rights may do so in a manner inconsistent with any provision in the Bill of Rights" (section 30).

My Department’s vision for promoting multilingualism is outlined in its corporate goal of supporting "the linguistic diversity of our country as a resource in empowering all South Africans fully to participate in their country’s social, political and economic life".

Each of us has something of value to contribute to our country. Our different backgrounds can add value to the future of our country’s development.

Language is at the heart of a people’s culture. We acknowledge that every language community is enriched with information and expertise. And not many people may know how to look for specific information in that community. To know that community’s language would make it possible to disseminate such knowledge, and might, for example, have invaluable international ramifications for medical research.

In a multilingual society, knowledge and use of more than one language for purposes of daily communication is an asset. In an immediate economic sense, for example at the workplace and in the larger social sense of opening many worlds or cultures in the way of seeing things. Also as a nation-building and pro-democracy practice, language is a valuable resource, most certainly not a problem. Our country is multilingual. We should work with this truth instead of working against it.

Globalisation is now also adding a new dimension to the complex relationship among linguistic communities. The many global languages are increasingly co-existing in an interdependent manner. The global village has brought with it the paradox of the global market place and the small niche markets. Now even more than before, the survival of regional, national and local economies is dependent upon accessing a larger number of linguistic communities. Globalisation demands greater flexibility of communication patterns.

Mmušo o swanetše go šomiša polelo ka tsela yeo e lego gore setšhaba se kgona go kwešiša seo se bolelwago. [Sepedi: Government should use language in such a way that the public understand what is said].

Government should use language in such a way that the public understand what is said. We must meet your rights by providing equal access to available public services and programmes. A Telephone Interpreting Service could prove invaluable to South Africa in this regard. The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology is currently involved in devising a pilot study for such a service where citizens, tourists and immigrants will have access to certain government services via an interpreter on the telephone. We have great expectations in regard to this service and the important facilitating role it could play in service delivery.

As language is a fundamental human right, no person should be prevented from the use of the language of his or her choice within the bounds of reasonableness. It is our duty, as a government, to protect this right and to assist the citizens if impediments to the exercise of their right arise through no fault of theirs.

Therefore provision should be made for language services that can facilitate communication within our multilingual context to ensure access, participation and equity.

Equity is sometimes misunderstood as equality. Equity refers to fairness, justice and reasonableness. Both the notion of "language equity" and "language equality" appears in Section 6(2) of the Constitution: all official languages must enjoy parity of esteem (with regard to equality) and must be treated equitably (with regard to equity).

It is therefore important to facilitate the development of the African languages as well as other marginalised languages, including sign languages. It is a precondition for the languages of the vast majority of the people of South Africa to attain social equality.

When we speak about the development of a language, it refers to developing a standard orthography and spelling system, elaborating and modernising the vocabulary, and creating new registers as used, for example, in education and in the legal system.

With the development of a language the status of that language can be elevated. Developing a language is also important because of the economic benefits in making science and technology more accessible. We must start to reconcile science and technology with our domestic cultures. We need to counteract any subordinate attitudes to cultures of technologically advanced countries.

As a government we must also regard people who have no means of expressing themselves through speech even though they are not primarily hearing-impaired or deaf. These people communicate by means of augmentative and alternative communication systems for example touch or tactile systems or communication boards. Educating our country to accommodate each other’s differences is important to promote the notion of human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.

The role of language in education is important in the political, economic and cultural defining of the future of our country. Politically it is important with regard to the promotion and use of our languages to maximise national unity and cohesion. Economically it is important with regard to viewing language as a resource for maximising efficiency and productivity, and culturally with regard to fostering genuine respect for language and cultural diversity.

To function effectively in the multilingual milieu of South Africa, it is necessary for our citizens to know different languages. I would therefore like to plead with all our people – young and old – to take on the challenge of learning another South African language. Here the idea of promoting the learning of our languages in our schools, would equip learners for the multilingual society in which they function. But, language is also close to our hearts, and it might therefore be better to use persuasion, encouragement and incentives rather than coercion with regard to this issue.

Another vehicle for rediscovering our cultural heritage and encouraging people to learn each other’s languages is Indigenous Games. The South African Sports Commission is in the process of reviving Indigenous Games and will launch it in February 2001. Engaging in sport and talking in our languages will ensure that we rediscover our creative past and recapture indigenous culture.

As we can see, language is an integral part of all human interaction. It is a tool for communication and cooperation and therefore inseparable from our political, economic and cultural life.

It is for this reason that the government started a consultative process on language policy already in 1995. Government is of the opinion that a coherent language policy which gives expression to the need to develop our indigenous languages in consonance with the constitutional provisions is of great importance. The final language policy will soon be discussed in Cabinet and we believe that it will serve as a framework for the interpretation and representation of our heritage. We are confident that this policy will manifest the constitutional requirements on language in a practical and resourceful manner that will do justice to our rich linguistic heritage.

I believe that no language is superior to any other: all our languages are equally useful instruments to be used by people who live and work in our modern day. And therefore it is important that we plan properly with regard to our languages. Plan to ensure that the constitutional requirements are indeed met here in South Africa. South Africa - one nation, many languages.

So today we as a nation celebrate the many languages that we speak. We celebrate our languages as sources of mutual enrichment and as resources for development and progress.

Ri a vha hulisa. [Tshivenda: We honour you].

We honour you, the custodians of our languages. Use our languages, because the languages of our country belong to us all.

Ngiyabonga.

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Another thing that bothers me is when I go for courses: I try and get a front seat for lip-reading purposes. But I tell the teacher that I am deaf and that he must please try and talk slower for me. Most times they do but the problem is that I cannot make notes and lip-read at the same time. This means I lose a lot of information. Luckily I do make the pass rate but I feel that I can achieve better results if I can write the notes. I would prefer that the Department has courses wherein only deaf people can attend, thus improving communication between ourselves.

I feel that it is a great pity that most departmental services such as the hospitals, police stations, doctors, etc do not have a Teldem so that we can talk to them too. We deaf people are also part of the community and are clients as well. I hope the Government will do something about this in one way or another.

(The writer is an employee of the DLA attached to the Surveys and Mapping office in Cape Town).

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Understanding the deaf

                                     By Venita Bosch

I hope by reading this article you will have a better understanding of deaf people.

(The writer is an employee of the DLA attached to the Surveys and Mapping office in Cape Town).

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At the moment I have a Teldem which helps me a bit with my phone calls. I also have a light fitting attached to my phone so that I can see my phone ringing. I have just been given a hands-free cellphone kit, which is a great improvement with my driving. It also improves my hearing while talking over a cellphone.

Otherwise things are good to me here at the DLA and I am very happy.

Twenty-six certificates in Communication in English, Numeracy and Mathematics in English from Level 1 to Level 4 were awarded to Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) learners from National and Deeds Offices on Literacy Day at the National Office Resource Centre.

With his beautiful tenor, Godfrey rendered a solo on "Ave Maria in Spaniardo" by Verdi. It was a stupendous rendition that received a thunderous applause from the audience.

The ABET programme of the Department of Land Affairs is aimed at creating literacy awareness among previously disadvantaged employees ranging from cleaners, messengers, security staff, or gardeners.

From its inception in 1996 the ABET project started with the aim to rid the department of illiteracy in the workplace. This was a social commitment aimed at ensuring that all Department of Land Affairs staff have access to reading, writing and numeracy.

Through the ABET programme, an opportunity was made for learners to advance their careers through access to a formal education programme that leads to a general education and training Certificate (GETC). This builds a foundation for further and continuing education linked to certain specific employment opportunities as well as addressing learners' development needs.

The Department of Land Affairs' ABET project officers offer mother tongue literacy and levels 1 – 4 in Communication in English and Numeracy. All the Department of Land Affairs offices have this program running and a few learners have already went through it.

After completing their levels learners are sent to the Pretoria College for further training.

The Department of Land Affairs is not the only Department that renders this essential service in the country. NGO’s and CBO’s also render various services on literacy.

It should be the duty of every citizen and all workplaces, private and public, to ensure that everyone can read and write.

ABET really makes a difference in the lives of people and in their work, there is a benefit of an increase in productivity and initiative in the workplace.

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Introduction

This summary provides a brief overview of the findings of a survey based on a stratified probability sample of 2160 South Africans of 16 years and older, drawn from all social categories, rural and urban. The fieldwork took the form of personal interviews by experienced interviewers in the languages of choice of the respondents. The final report providing more depth and detail is currently in preparation.

Language Use in Public and Institutional Situations

A wide range of questions were asked about language interaction in public situations and the institutional sphere. The languages used by respondents, the languages used by personnel in the situations and reactions to language use in major public venues were established. The data are best summarised by the following rank-order of the proportions of South Africans accommodated in their home languages in the variety of situations, and the proportions of those not accommodated in home languages who would prefer or strongly prefer to be accommodated in their own home languages (where asked):

Proportions of South Africans generally accommodated in their own home languages in public institutions and public communication (among those exposed to the situations) and proportions of those not accommodated who feel negatively about it (feel disadvantaged or would prefer to be accommodated):

Situation

• Giving evidence in court:                                        90%                                            56%
• Religious services:                                                   82%                                           10%
• Language used by staff in police stations:                   77%                                           29%
• Adequate court home language translation:                76%                                           56%
• Language by staff in regular retail outlet:                    76%                                           37%
• News broadcasts, radio or TV:                                   74%                                            85%
• Staff in post offices:                                                 73%                                             29%
• Statements in police stations:                                    73%                                             29%
• Language of civic/ratepayers meetings:                      72%                                             29%
• Political party meetings:                                            72%                                             29%
• Staff language in clinics, hospitals:                              72%                                             29%
• Staff language in public service offices:                      68%                                              29%
• Peer interaction at work/school:                                68%                                              na
• Language of selling, informal sector:                            66%                                              na
• Language seeking work:                                              52%                                              58%
• Trade union meetings:                                                50%                                              29%
• Staff language in banks:                                               49%                                              37%
• Language used with seniors/teachers at work or school: 45%                                             23%

• Language of tuition:                                                     30%                          (Circa 90% see below)
• Adverts, signs and notices, public and private sector: 25% or less                                   41%-51%

These results are self-explanatory and need little comment. Suffice it to say that there is great variation in the extent to which home languages are accommodated and a similar variation in reactions to not being accommodated in terms of home language.

The reactions to not being accommodated in home languages show that South Africans in general are fairly flexible and generous in their reactions at the language interface.

In respect of language of tuition, we did not ask specifically if people felt disadvantaged by non-mother tongue instruction. It will be seen presently that the vast majority of people would prefer to be taught or for their children to be taught in their mother tongue.

Hence one may identify situations that are rather more problematic than the average situation in that high or fairly high proportions of people are not accommodated in their home languages and high or fairly high proportions of people not accommodated feel negatively about the situation:

• language of tuition
• signs, notices and adverts
• work-seeking activity
• service in banks
• trade union meetings
• news broadcasts

The public language interface affects South Africans with certain home languages more than others, as we see below:

• ALL SOUTH AFRICANS:                           47%                                                               13%
• IsiNdebele-speakers                     75%                                                  25%
• Xitsonga                                     71%                                                   9%
• Setswana                                     68%                                                  30%
• Sesotho                                       63%                                                  13%
• IsiZulu                                          57%                                                 24%
• SiSwati                                         53%                                                  3%
• Tshivenda                                      51%                                                  0%
• Sepedi                                           43%                                                  5%
• Afrikaans                                         41%                                                11%
• IsiXhosa                                           37%                                                12%
• English                                            15%                                                   1%

The situation as perceived and experienced is serious in respect of isiNdebele, Setswana and isiZulu-speakers in particular.

In respect of all these results readers should bear in mind that most people tend to live in regions in which their languages are commonly used. The situations of those home-language speakers who live outside of these regions are much worse than the average results presented above suggest. IsiNdebele and Xitsonga-speakers outside of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga, Afrikaans-speakers in KwaZulu-Natal, isiZulu-speakers in the Cape, Free State and Northern Province, etc. would be examples.

Language-use in the workplace is of critical importance. It will be seen from the results below to what extent the overall situation deviates from the home language pattern:

Overall distributions of language use by context in the workplace (among those exposed to the situations and answering)

Workplace language used by/in

All languages except Afrikaans are displaced to a degree in the workplace. Virtually the only African language with any prominence in the workplace is isiZulu. In communication upward in the workplace hierarchies English enjoys around five times its relative strength as a home language.

Understand speeches and statements in English: (English-speakers excluded)

• Fully:                                              22%
• As much as I need to:                        27%
• Often do not understand:                  30%
• Seldom understand:                           19%
• Other answers:                                   2%

The results suggest that communication of political, policy and administrative information in South Africa is generally only adequately understood by half the non-English-speaking population. Among the following language and socio-economic groups more than 60% often do not or seldom understand the communication:

Setswana-speakers:                         63%

IsiNdebele-speakers:                       67%

Tshivenda-speakers:                       83%

< Grade 5:                                     76%

< Grade 7:                                     64%

Rural occupations:                         76%

Semi-skilled and unskilled:             60%

Only among English-speakers and speakers of European languages did majorities of respondents feel that the use of other languages in such communication was unnecessary. Among the sample as a whole at least the use of the following languages was felt to be desirable:

IsiZulu:                          24%

Afrikaans:                     21%

IsiXhosa:                      20%

Sesotho:                      16%

Sepedi:                         8%

Setswana:                    7%

Obviously there was a tendency to select their own home languages, but the top four languages listed above were very often chosen by speakers of other languages.

This brief summary will have to suffice in providing an outline and a flavour of the results. South Africans are surprisingly generous in attempting to accommodate the practical challenges that arise in a country of eleven languages. The results make it clear, however, that substantial proportions of people have to accept less than adequate communication with their fellow South Africans and have to make difficult adjustments in formal situations and economic interaction. It is only the goodwill that this study reveals that prevents a greater level of frustration in situations of language contact.

The minorities of people who feel that their preference and needs are not met, or who feel disadvantaged in situations, may appear modest in statistical terms, but one should remember that the results have presented averages. Because people tend to be concentrated in regions in which their languages are generally spoken, the averages disguise very great problems for people who find themselves outside these areas of concentration.

Decision-makers in the public and private sectors have a point that the practical problems of accommodating eleven languages are such that current budgets cannot be expected to provide for adequate expenditure on language development, multilingual training and the development of translation services. There is a danger in a situation in which resources will always be limited that the challenges of language development will always be deferred. This survey shows, however, that the very communication with the people that decision-makers see as one of their major obligations is understood by less than half of the population they would like to reach. If nothing else this should be a reason for a greater sense of urgency in respect of language development and multi-lingualism.

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At the beginning of March this year, Bradley David Baatjes assumed duties as the first black Registrar of Deeds in the Cape Town office. Bradley has a law degree which is a pre-requisite for his post and is currently busy with his business management studies.

When speaking of his new office, Bradley says it is in quite a good state and now it has to forge ahead with its issues of culture change and transformation. He says the PPMS also poses some difficulty.

"I try to a large extent to foster the idea that everybody can and should make a contribution and ultimately a difference. The environment at the Deeds Office should be business minded and in this regard the battle goes on", Bradley says.

Before being appointed at the Cape Town office Bradley had moved through the ranks in various offices up to the level of a Deputy Registrar of Deeds in Johannesburg. His ten year experience encompasses:

• Completion of deeds
• Interpretation of the Deeds Act, Sectional Title Act and related regulations and proclamations
• Training and giving guidance to junior and senior deeds examiners
• Liaison with the public and local authority management institutions
• Moderating and writing court reports
• Training of broader personnel
• Towns division
• Examining division
• Being involved in selection panels

As a Registrar of Deeds Bradley has the following responsibilities:

• Manage and control the functions of the Deeds Registry including the Deeds Trading Account, personnel and provisioning administration and computer microfilm systems
• Execute the duties as contemplated in the Deeds Registry Act
• Liaise with the Law Society and other local institutions regarding the elimination of problems encountered with the registration of deeds and represent the Department on the Township Board of the Provincial Administration
• Comment on bills and draft directives regarding land registration and related matters
• Approve reports to court and advise the High Court of the feasibility of a plea regarding registration of deeds
• Grant hearings to conveyancers where appeals are lodged against decisions by subordinates
• Decide on settlement of individual registration cases where no precedents exist and advise subordinates and conveyancers where difficulties are experienced with drafting, examination and registration of deeds and issue instructions

Bradley is married and has two children. He describes himself as a fanatic of vintage cars that likes motorbikes and enjoys fun drives. Presently, he is busy repairing a 1946 stuterbaker bakkie.

L T Du Pont, NEHAWU shopsteward at the Deeds Office in Cape Town comments as follows about Bradley's appointment:

"The appointment of Mr Baatjes as Registrar was initially viewed by the NEHAWU, as an appointment purely based on the colour of his skin; an appointment for 'affirmative action' considerations only. During the last four months, however, Mr Baatjes has proved himself a true leader, committed to bringing about transformation and change in the Deeds Office, Cape Town. It is clear that his endeavours in this regard are in par with the DLA vision to establish a representative and decentralised organisation that values diversity and is dedicated to the delivery and the maintenance of high quality land services to all clients".

"This commitment also contributed to an improved working relationship between NEHAWU and the management of the office. For the first time in the history of this office Nehawu works hand in and with management to bring about Transformation and Culture Change", Mr Du Pont says.

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In her farewell speech, the former Deputy Director-General for Land Reform Policy, Ms Sue Lund paid a special tribute to the staff of the Policy Branch commending them for having laid a solid foundation of quality work for the future.

"You have produced volumes of very high quality policy and systems of work over these years, and provided critical support to our implementers - for which you can stand very proud indeed. Policy will of course, always need ongoing changes and improvement as the land reform lessons are learned", she said.

Ms Lund said she wishes the DLA Minister Thoko Didiza and the Director-General Dr Gilingwe Mayende and all her old colleagues all the strength in tackling the land reform and land development tasks that lie ahead. She said it was her hope that the restructuring and decentralisation of the functions in the coming months will bring about greater efficiency in service delivery and result in improved work environments for the departmental workers.

Ms Lund continued and said working from the early days of establishing land reform in the country had been a huge and an exciting challenge, achieving a lot, together making a lot of mistakes and learning a lot. She said a diverse and a skilled institution for driving land reform had been established and set in place legislation, systems, standards and a level of public service excellence that will withstand.

"… most importantly, the people who have received new land or had land restored, or had their land rights protected in these first few years of democracy, have been the real pioneers. It is from land beneficiaries that this department will continue to learn how to do the job better as the years go on .… I am quite certain that the department will go from strength to strength and that our people will be well served", she said.

Earlier on, Dr Mayende in informing the staff about Ms Lund and Mr Stanley Nkosi's departures from the Department, had wished them well in their new careers. "On behalf of the Department, I wish to express appreciation to Sue and Stan for the dedication they have shown towards the Department and the cause of land reform in our country", he said.

The restructuring of the DLA came up with the posts of DDG : Land and Tenure Reform, DDG : Land Planning and Information as well as the Chief Financial Officer which enjoys the same status as a DDG. The process did away with the posts of DDG : Land Reform Policy and DDG : Land Reform Implementation which were occupied by Ms Lund and Mr Nkosi respectively.

Ms Lala Steyn, the Chief Director at Redistribution, Land Rights and Development said Ms Lund had taken the initiative to set up the first transformation office for the DLA which had to address "development aid" and "separate development" legacy. She said she was the brains behind the land reform facilitation, technical assistance and mediation services which have supported land reform so well.

In explaining Ms Lund's management style as their boss, Ms Steyn mentioned that:

• She encourages initiative, giving one the space and authority to develop creative solutions
• If, however, one starts wondering around in the darkness, she firmly guides one back
• She places high expectations on delivery of targets
• She sets an example - her blistering efficiency is a standard
• She always emphasises that the bottom line of management is treating colleagues and staff as people

Ms Corrie Bouwer who has been Ms Lund's secretary since July 1995 had the following to say about her: "I have the greatest respect for her as a manager, and my personal tribute to her would be to thank her for being such a kind, fair, inspiring person, and a flawless example of caring for all people. I am so enriched by her leadership, and will strive to live to the high standards set by her in the DLA, especially in the Land Reform Policy Branch".

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The chairperson of the Catalytic Project Team at the Chief Directorate for Financial Management at National Office, Jan Ramoshaba, describes its purpose as promoting both a harmonious working environment and the transformation programme of the Department of Land Affairs within the Chief Directorate.

Jan says the team has been in existence for some time, but has been dormant and was revived around May 2000 at the insistence of the Chief Director Pieter Boonzier and the transformation office. He says they are now functioning well, but there are some procedures that have to be followed in getting their house in order and those procedures hamper the progress of their work.

Jan says in their programme of action, presently they have included suggestion boxes wherein people raise their concerns and unhappiness in the Chief Directorate. "Issues raised from the suggestion boxes are looked at closely and advice from experts is sought. But our main aim is to solve problems within the Chief Directorate", he says.

Jan mentions the following as challenges facing his team:

• A reluctance to change, especially by some managers
• A lack of understanding of some of the concepts on transformation by some team members
• A poor attendance of meetings : some members are not allowed to attend meetings by their supervisors

"Transformation is the policy of the National Government of which our Department is a part, and it should be preserved and nurtured to grow. We are appealing to everyone in the Chief Directorate to contribute positively in transforming it", he says.

"People should not be afraid to air their concerns with us because if they don't, we cannot function. In the same spirit people tend to complain all the time. It will be good if they can come up with suggestions and solutions to problems", he appeals.

Jan concedes that on occasions their work overlaps with that of  unions. "Our approach in such instances is to seek advice from Human Resource Management if a problem deserves the attention of Human Resource Management; the Transformation Office if a problem is related to transformation and advise our clients to approach their trade unions if their problem is labour related", he says.

Subsequent to our conversation with Jan, we asked Mr Gert Marais, the Director for Financial Administration to comment on the team's revival and to indicate as to how he will be assisting them to overcome problems they are encountering in fulfilling the purpose of their team. Mr Marais said "I think the revival of the Team is good and the Team should create opportunities for managers to participate in their discussions to solve problems".

"The Team must be able to approach managers who do not want to allow officials to attend meetings to reconsider their decisions", he said.

Mlamleli Sohe, a staff member at Financial Management has the following to say about the Catalytic Team,"The Catalytic Team is ideally the platform which is supposed to be used to address matters of concern within the CD:FM staff. However, its existence is unknown to some of the officials".

He says "The Committee members are demotivated by reasons best known to them. Among the reasons may be poor attendance of meetings by some members; not wanting to be victimised by senior officials who are part of the Team".

He concludes that "In a nutshell, there is nothing that we can pinpoint as something they have addressed immensely, rather they do have issues to address but the execution is poor. Maybe, there is no clear definition of their vision as some of them perceive it as the agent of voicing out grievances only".

Other than Jan, the Executive Committee has Paul Keulder as the Deputy Chairperson, Ronel Roets as Secretary and Dorah Dikgale as Deputy-Secretary. Other members of the team are:

Gerald Dixon,

Xavier Jonkers,

Martin Moloto,

Anton Korff,

Butana Mahlangu,

Bekinkosi Ngcobo,

Vivette Pienaar,

Faizel Raiman,

Nozuko Vutuza,

Ryan Williamson, and

Meshack Mahlangu.

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The DLA Director-General, Dr Gilingwe Mayende told a workshop on delegations at Warmbaths recently that the manager who delegates certain powers to his or her subordinates still remains ultimately responsible for the proper exercising of the relevant powers.

The workshop was attended by most senior managers in the Department. The DG opened the workshop by emphasising how important delegations are in an organisation such as the Department, but at the same time warned that delegation is not an easy way to get rid of one's responsibilities.

The purpose of the workshop was to consider the delegations in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, Treasury Regulations, Public Service Act and Public Service Regulations. These Acts and Regulations confer various powers and impose various duties on the Minister and DG, which the Minister and the DG may delegate to officers in the Department.

At the workshop each of the powers contained in the acts and regulations mentioned above were considered one by one, and a decision was taken as to the most appropriate level (rank/position) to which each power could be delegated. Powers which were discussed included the power to appoint persons to the Department and the power to dismiss persons from the Department.

Some of the items evoked lively discussions and quite a number of excellent comments and inputs were received. The DG expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the workshop.

The Chief Directorate Financial Management and Directorate Human Resource Management, together with the Directorate Legal Services, are currently in the process of amending the draft delegations as a result of the inputs received, and will thereafter submit the draft delegations to the Minister and DG for approval. The target date for implementation of the new delegations is 18 October 2000. Special arrangements will, however, be made where offices do not yet have the capacity to implement certain delegations.

Once the Minister and the DG have approved the delegations, copies of the approved delegations will be sent to all managers, who will make copies available to all staff members.

The delegations will obviously also be reviewed from time to time to keep in line with developments in the Department.

When asked to express his views on the workshop, Mr John Obree, the Surveyor-General in Cape Town said, "At last we are getting somewhere. I enjoyed a generally decisive meeting which was professionally presented by each speaker involved. They really need to be congratulated for their own and their division's efforts. It's obviously not always as straightforward or as easy as we think at first to delegate and probably many aspects previously criticised were properly understood by many delegates for the first time at the workshop. The workshop was a bold step in the right direction."

When we spoke to George Mabata, who also attended the workshop, he told us that the workshop was conducted successfully. "All officials who were presenting papers had done their homework and participants were actively involved in all the deliberations there. The documents that will be produced will be a result of a consensus of all managers present there", he said.

Mr Mabata went on and said the Department of Land Affairs through its Head and managers has demonstrated seriousness in upholding the principle of good governance, efficiency and transparency. "If the delegations were prepared and sent down to managers for implementation, without them having to comment and agree as to the level and ranks to which powers should be delegated, it was going to be difficult, if not impracticable on their part to exercise certain powers, so delegated to them by the DG", he said.

"Of importance to this delegation is that there are provisions which were delegated to 'all officials', making it obligatory for all DLA officials to exercise the said delegated powers. It is recommended that all officials acquaint themselves with delegations, especially the ones they work with often", Mr Mabata said.

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Thank you, DLA officials, for your overwhelming response, your understanding, co-operation and support.

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The DLA Internet Café at the Resource Centre at National Office was established way back in 1997 to ensure that DLA personnel have access to available information through the internet.

The Internet Café has now grown and caters for students and members of the public who have no access to internet. According to Zuzette Fourie at the Resource Centre, the café started out with four computers and now it has seven.

"There is a registration that one has to make before using the Internet Café and it is predominantly used by students and ABET people whose number is approximately 10 per day. We also have more control to people using this cafe than when they are sitting in their offices", Zuzette explained.

It has also transpired that when IT policies were discussed at the Bargaining Council, there was an appeal by unions for the publicity of the café. Presently posters in that regard are being prepared.

According to Levina Du Toit who also works at the Resource Centre, the busiest times in the café are lunch hours. Because of the staggered office hours of the DLA there are two lunch hours from 12 : 00 to 12 : 45 and 13 : 00 to 13 : 45.

When visiting the café, Journal met Caroline Madida who studies at the PC Business College. She told Journal that she heard about the café from a friend in 1999. "It is good that the DLA has a facility like the café at the Resource Centre. The fact that it is availed to disadvantaged people is a bonus", she said.

"At my school one is given a limited time to use a computer, but here one is free to use it as long as the Resource Centre is open", she added.

"Furthermore, the café has many programmes that are not available in my school. One may say the approach used at my school in the use of a computer can be described as stereotyped", she continued.

"People in this centre are very friendly and supportive. They are always willing to help", she concluded.

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The Free State Office of the Department of Land Affairs (FSPDLA) is in the process of launching its recently completed Emerging Farmers' Multi-Media Package.

The Emerging Farmers' Multi-Media Package was conceptualised by the FSPDLA for the benefit of emerging farmers throughout the Free State. The aim of the Package is to enable land reform clients and emerging farmers to identify their own needs and resources and to empower them to locate and access resources and assistance that will in the long run increase their capacity to become effective and efficient farmers. The Package also ensures that a uniform standard of support is available to our clients.

The package provides Planners from the Department of Land Affairs and Extension Officers from the Provincial Department of Agriculture (DOA) with a toolkit that can be used in pre-settlement and post-settlement programs. The Emerging Farmers' Multi-Media Package consists of a Workshop Manual, Resource Folder, Audio Cassettes, and supporting materials such as charts, maps, and stickers.

Officials from both the DLA and the DOA participated in the development of the materials. Our intention is to work quite closely with the DOA as we believe that their support and use of these materials is crucial to ensuring that our emerging farmers are better capacitated and thus empowered to succeed in their new profession.

The FSPDLA is enthusiastic about the package and it wants to share it with all the provincial offices of the Department of Land Affairs. Any office interested in replicating or adapting the materials to suite the context of a particular province, can contact the FSPDLA at (051) 430-3730.

Subsequent to the foregoing advice to other offices, Kristin was asked by Journal whether there were any views expressed from other offices and stakeholders. The question was asked in order to find out whether there are any people who have found it helpful or identified flaws in it.

She replied as follows, " We have piloted the materials with clients in the Eastern Free State and it went very well. We still have to pilot it in the Northern and Southern Free State. Suggestions have been made by myself and the facilitators to make a few minor changes in the workshop manual, but we feel the entire package works very well."

She continued and said "The group with whom we piloted thought the package was great. What we need to do however, is to follow up with them in a few weeks time to see how they have benefited from the workshop and the entire package."

Kristin further responded that the Free State Department of Agriculture is training all it's extension officers to use the multi-media package, and the training is likely to be done by one of the FSPDLA planners. She said the Northern Province and Eastern Cape are considering replicating the materials to suite their provinces and an acting provincial director for Gauteng PDLA phoned telling them that the materials were fantastic.

SSCs not necessarily corporate centralisation

By Lesley-Anne Wilkinson

Shared Services combine the benefits of both centralised and decentralised operations, however, people are often confused by the difference between centralisation and shared services. The history of organisations over the past 20 years has seen them decentralising because centralisation led to a monolithic and insensitive corporate culture with little regard for customer needs - both internal and external.

But on the other hand decentralisation led to the need to create duplicate infra-structure within each operating unit in order to conduct support functions and processes. Over time, organisations realised that the ideal structure would be one in which some activities were concentrated (not centralised) and others were distributed (not decentralised), and it therefore became necessary to define which activities are appropriate for concentrating.

Shared Services involve taking repetitive common processes and activities out of the Departments and moving them into a Shared Services Centre (SSC), freeing up the Departments to spend more time performing core and higher value added tasks. This allows the SSC to achieve improved efficiencies and economies of scale while providing a high level of service to the organisation. Sharing Services can be defined as:

• any processes within an organisation that have a separate set of dedicated resources (e.g. people or assets)
• managed through a single organisation that serves multiple Departments within the organisation that delivers mutually agreed service levels to defined customers at a specific cost.

By implementing a Shared Service solution, the organisation goes beyond simplification and standardisation, and is required to rethink its process, structure, organisation, and systems rather than adopt the same bad practices in a centralised location. As the scope of Shared Services increases, so does the potential magnitude of benefits.

Achieving customer satisfaction and cost savings require that the SSC establish and align expectations with internal customers. Service Level Agreements define and document the cost, quantity and specification of all services provided by the SSC to the internal customers. This link to the customer is what differentiates Shared Services from centralisation functions.

Therefore, Shared Services is definitely not corporate centralisation. The difference between Corporate Centralisation and Shared Services Centralised processing brings with it a "corporate" mentality, where service providers are located at a centralised corporate head office. They bundle services and standardise them. The business units receiving the services from the centralised function take what they get, and live with it and they generally have no recourse to poor service delivery. There is therefore little accountability by corporate staff for costs or service levels.

• Mandated policies and timelines
• Accountable for deadlines and costs
• Corporate office focus
• Located at corporate headquarters
• Cost reduction strategy
• Unresponsive
• No department control of central overhead costs
• Inflexible to departmental needs
• No options, no contracts
• Departments do not participate in governance

On the other hand, in a shared service environment, the service providers are oriented outward towards the departments to which they provide services. The individual departments are the shared service organisation’s partners, and they have the right to demand the appropriate service level. In a shared service environment, service providers can be centrally located, located in centres of excellence, or embedded into each Department in a physical sense, although they all report to the shared service organisation’s management, rather than to the individual business unit management or to corporate management. Finally, there is joint accountability for costs and quality through agreements that stipulate service level and pricing.

• Jointly created service level agreements
• A service provider to a diverse set of Departments
• Collective experience
• Independence of Departments
• Enhanced career progression
• Accountable for quality and responsiveness
• Internal "customer" focus
• Located/based on organisations' needs, cost of operations and employee demographics
• Departments participate in shared services governance

Therefore, going further than the previously established practice of using a single data centre, the shared services centre approach also addresses the issues of people and facilities. Reorganisation not only eliminates many duplicate costs but exploits economies of scale and frees departments to refocus on higher value adding tasks, while training and empowering the people within the shared service centre.

The Shared Services Centre (SSC)! What is it and why is it in Gauteng? These are some of the questions that one hears when the phrase is mentioned. Some think it is privatisation or centralisation or outsourcing or some flavour of the times in the business arena.

It is neither of the above. It is a reality and it is a foundation that supports our GPG Smart Province Concept - Does Quality Service Delivery ring a bell? Does focus on Core Business for the benefit of the public sound familiar? I can go on and on. The fact of the matter is that, with the powers given to us by our key stakeholders, (the public), have a mandate to meet their expectations with unwavering focus.

Therefore implementing the SSC seemed logical and made economic sense. A point has been made in several forums that South Africa is the cornerstone for the rest of Africa and possesses tremendous potential to improve the economic challenges faced by our counterparts in Africa. And Gauteng is the Hub that can facilitate the process. What an opportunity! These are exciting times for all of us, so let’s get to work!

The Shared Services Centre

Now what is a Shared Services Centre?

The Shared Services Centre is a consolidation of high volume, internal, transaction based support functions that are not core to the GPG departments.

These include Finance, Procurement, Human Resources and Technology Services. The SSC project name is "Imbumba", a Nguni name, meaning the "coming together" of like activities for a common purpose.

A Shared Services Centre is characterised by the following qualities:

• It is customer focused
• Its core function is to deliver quality support services to its customers
• It operates on standardised processes and common standards
• It is a centre for collective expertise.

In essence, the SSC is about delivering quality support service whilst enabling the Departments to focus on quality service delivery of core services to the public.

The relationship between the SSC and the GPG departments will be governed by Service Level Agreements which will be drawn by the two parties. To ensure service delivery as agreed, Customer Relationship Managers will act as a link between the GPG departments (customers) and the SSC.

Why the SSC for Gauteng?

The SSC is going to be a vehicle to deliver on the National mandate to improve the quality of service to the public. The country is faced with a glaring shortage of resources, both financial and human. This is a National issue and we can’t fold our arms and give in. We realised that we needed to optimise the resources at our disposal.

The GPG conducted an in-depth investigation of the issues surrounding limited resources and the outcome was that the Departmental support services were of a poor quality and costly. It was then that the GPG Executive Committee pondered and debated about the potential solution. And guess what, the SSC became a practical and viable solution for the Province.

What are some of the benefits of the SSC?

The SSC will bring significant benefits to the GPG. The ultimate is to have an SSC that offers professional services in the areas of Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, Technology Services and Internal Audit. Currently, these services are duplicated and inconsistent across Departments. They are also non-core to the departments. Some of the benefits of consolidating these functions include the following:

• Customer focus resulting in customer satisfaction
• Effective and efficient processes ensuring reduction in cost of providing support services
• Reduced cost of procuring goods and services
• Standardised processes and common standards
• Better and consistent information for decision-making
• Opportunities for professional growth and skills development

Office security is of utmost importance to us all and the main purpose of office security is to save lives and protect property. Office security is one of our responsibilities as employees of this department.

The following hints/guidelines should be adhered to at all times:

HINTS/GUIDELINES

• It is important that all personnel occupying offices be security conscious. If one person is negligent, then the others may suffer through his/her negligence.
• If strangers are seen wandering about in the premises, it is the duty of every employee to enquire of their presence or to immediately call the departmental security at the following extensions:

1. 8601 Main entrance for parking.
2. 8219/8342 Main entrance Old Building.
3. 9622 Main entrance South Block.

It is not only the task of the security officers, never assume that a person has the right to be in the office or building. First ascertain the true facts before it is too late.

NB: A description of the stranger is important such as:

- The clothes

- height

- Race (Black/White)

- Sex

- Exact area last seen and direction taken

Furthermore:

* Do not allow furniture or equipment to be removed or maintenance work to be done in the office         before confirming with the head of the office

* If there is a visitor in your office, do not leave the office to attend to something else outside

* Never leave personal items such as handbags, briefcases, jackets wallets, cellphones, expensive pens/pencils, calculators, laptops (Govt) unattended in your office, as valuable items can easily be stolen

* When you go off duty lock all classified documents in a secured place

* Keys must not be left lying around, left hanging on office doors, or put away in desk drawers.

* It is quite safe to lock your door at all times when you leave your office

* Make sure that you always keep your office keys with you when you come to work and only leave them for emergency cases with your supervisor or someone you trust when you go on leave

* Switch off all electrical appliances that need to be switched off when going off duty.

* Close your office windows to avoid office damages that may arise as a result of unfavourable weather conditions</