Public officials from the Overberg really shone at the Western Cape Government’s annual Service Excellence Awards (SEA), winning gold and silver in the Best Public Service Innovator (employee) category and bronze in the Best Municipality division.
The annual Service Excellence Awards was held recently at the Stellenbosch Town Hall.
The aim is to recognise and reward teams and individuals for service excellence in 13 different categories such as Best Frontline Service Delivery Employee, Best Public Service Leader, Best Collaborative Programme/Project, Best Red Tape Reduction/Ease of Doing Business Programme and Best Citizen Performance Team.
innovators of note
Pioneering and devising three research programmes and “impactful solutions” that have been implemented regionally as best practices earned Nuraan Deutschen, who is employed by the Department of Social Development and based in the Overstrand, gold in the Best Public Service Innovator (employee) category.
It was stated that Nuraan, who is renowned for her dedication and innovation, formulated programmes such as the Mother and Daughter Programme and Victim Empowerment workshops despite resource shortages and organisational limitations.
“Various government and child protection agencies regularly refer clients to Nuraan’s services, recognising her expertise and programme effectiveness,” reads the commendation.
Walking away with silver in this division was Johan Clarke of the Western Cape Education Department. He is credited with devising an interactive Learner Transport Scheme (LTS) App for schools in the Overberg Education District.
This app facilitates instant access to essential LTS materials and is aimed at enhancing service delivery and adhering to best practices.
The commendation reads: “Multiple schools accessed LTS documents via the app, streamlining processes. A guide for completing forms accurately and promptly was provided. The app now offers schools a comprehensive overview of LTS routes, including clearly marked pick-up points.”
Overstrand Municipality as well as the Cape Agulhas Municipality (CAM) were nominated in the Best Municipality category. Swartland Municipality won this category with Drakenstein Municipality in second place and OM third.
The Overstrand Municipality’s commendation stated it had achieved nine consecutive clean audit reports and implemented control measures with the goal of achieving effective corporate governance through accountability.
CAM’s commendation stated:
“Cape Agulhas Municipality is committed to being professional and transparent in its dealings with the public and maintaining the highest possible service standards.”
Premier Alan Winde declared he was “blown away” by the care, selflessness and resilience of the nominees and winners.
“These men and women embody what makes the Western Cape so special. Thank you to all our 90 000 public servants that make this province work!”
