Minister of Public Service Mr. Moeketsi Mots’oane has criticised civil servants
for delays in processing terminal benefits for retired public officers.
Mr. Mots’oane was speaking on Monday during the launch of the ministry’s
district visitation campaign in Berea, targeting Heads of Departments (HODs),
public officers, councillors, Area Chiefs and the business community.
The visits are aimed at strengthening governance systems, improving public
service effectiveness and addressing performance management challenges.
They also seek to give public officers an opportunity to raise challenges
affecting their ability to deliver services and identify possible joint solutions.

Mr Mots’oane said the ministry had noted that civil servants face various
challenges, including low salaries compared with the rising cost of living, poor
welfare and a shortage of decent housing. He said transport was also a
challenge for some civil servants who commute to work, with some
reportedly running out of transport money before the end of the month.

The minister also expressed concern that some civil servants leave their
workplaces during working hours to pursue income-generating activities,
which he said contributes to poor service delivery.
Mr Mots’oane said about 70 percent of civil servants approaching retirement
were likely to experience challenges in receiving their terminal benefits
because serving officers sometimes fail to process and sign their documents
on time.

He urged serving officers to reflect on their responsibilities and ensure that
retirement documents are processed in time. “Most civil servants rely mostly
on salaries and what more to the retired officers, a month without any money
clocking into their accounts becomes a serious challenge which increase their
level of vulnerability,” he said. Mr Mots’oane encouraged HODs,
departmental managers and Human Resource Officers to be proactive in
processing files of officers approaching retirement to ensure that the
necessary auditing processes are completed and benefits paid on time.

He said delays in paying terminal benefits could have serious consequences
for retirees, including depression and, in some cases, death. The minister also
announced that the ministry had decided that Public Service Day would be
celebrated in each district as part of recreational and rehabilitation activities
for civil servants.
“We highly anticipate that each district will celebrate at their home bases, but
civil servants should maintain Basotho cultural identity with the national
colours,” he said. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Berea District
Administrator (DA), Mr Jonase Mokete, highlighted a shortage of staff in
several government departments, including Health and Agriculture.

He said the Local Government sector was among the worst affected,
explaining that the contracts of several machine operators had expired at the
same time, affecting service delivery. Berea District Agricultural Officer (DAO),
Mrs. Malerato Lekhooa, said one of the major challenges in the public service
was the lack of promotions for officers who upgrade their qualifications.

She said officers were encouraged to further their studies, but on returning
they often found that there were no promotions despite vacant positions. Mrs
Lekhooa also said officers who joined the public service through placement
sometimes faced difficulties being accepted by long-serving employees who
felt they had been overlooked by newly recruited staff.

She said this could create bitterness and negatively affect morale in the
workplace. “When there are positions to be filled, we encourage at least 50
percent of people who join on placement, and 50 percent who get an
automatic promotion,” she said, adding that the approach could boost
workers’ morale.

Among other concerns raised by civil servants was the need for the Ministry of
Public Service to establish schemes that could assist them to own houses,
access medical aid and invest. They also called for a review of the practice of
allowing civil servants to act in vacant positions for long periods without
receiving additional benefits. As part of the district visit, Mr. Mots’oane also
toured government pool houses in Berea to assess their condition.