Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande
Mashonaland Central Bureau
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Edgar Moyo has challenged civil servants to embrace professionalism, accountability and innovation as Government intensifies efforts to improve service delivery across the country.
The Minister made the remarks in Mashonaland Central on Friday during an engagement with public servants before touring Government projects in Bindura and Mazowe.
The engagement formed part of the Minister’s countrywide programme to interact with employees at provincial and district level, understand challenges affecting their work and identify areas requiring Government intervention.
He said public servants were Government’s greatest asset and their welfare was central to the successful implementation of national programmes.
“Policies, programmes and institutions can only succeed when the people responsible for implementing them are motivated, supported, listened to and equipped with the necessary resources to perform their duties effectively.”
Minister Moyo said the engagements were not merely courtesy visits, but platforms to hear directly from employees about their working conditions, challenges and suggestions for improving public service delivery.
The Minister urged civil servants to openly raise concerns relating to working conditions, remuneration, career development, recognition, communication, leadership and access to tools and resources.
He said Government remained committed to improving the welfare of civil servants within the resources available to the country.
Employee welfare, Minister Moyo said, went beyond salaries to include occupational safety and health, appropriate equipment, training, career progression, employee wellness and a workplace culture founded on fairness, dignity and respect.
Minister Moyo, however, said improved welfare had to be matched by accountability and professionalism.
“Every employee therefore has an important role to play in ensuring that Government programmes and services reach the intended beneficiaries efficiently, professionally and ethically.”
The Minister urged civil servants to regard themselves as custodians of the public interest, saying citizens visiting Government offices should experience professionalism, courtesy and a commitment to finding solutions.
He also acknowledged challenges affecting employees at provincial and district levels, including inadequate office accommodation, transport constraints, shortages of equipment, staff shortages and workload pressures.
The engagements, Minister Moyo said, would help Government understand such challenges first-hand and develop practical and sustainable solutions.
The Minister later toured selected Government projects in Bindura and Mazowe, where progress and operational challenges were assessed as part of efforts to ensure that public institutions have the capacity to deliver services effectively.
Minister Moyo said a high-performing Public Service was critical to achieving the country’s broader development objectives.
“We therefore need to continually ask ourselves: Are our employees motivated? Do they have the tools and resources required to perform? Are our systems enabling or frustrating performance?” he said.
The Minister also called on managers and supervisors to strengthen communication with employees, saying effective leadership involved listening, supporting and motivating staff rather than simply issuing instructions.
He said the ultimate purpose of Government was to improve the lives of citizens and urged public servants to work collectively towards building an efficient, ethical, productive and citizen-centred Public Service.
Minister Moyo said concerns and experiences raised by employees at provincial and district level would help inform Government decisions and interventions. “Your contribution matters. Your work matters. And the service you provide to the people of Zimbabwe matters,” the Minister said.
