Public Service Month: Are we doing enough for those who serve us?

During September, we observe Public Service Month, when we recognise the important role government employees play in delivering services to communities.

It is also a month for public servants to take a step back and assess their strengths, failures, weaknesses, and successes in serving residents.

Here in the Western Cape, the Western Cape Government (WCG) prides itself on placing residents first in everything we do. This is one of our biggest strengths that have led to many successes. That is why many of the programmes we implement to address social issues are citizen-centric, such as the Provincial Department of Social Development’s (DSD) innovative Gender-Based Violence Ambassador programme.

Here, DSD trains volunteers from the community to assist in raising awareness about GBV support services and empowers them to refer victims to access these services. We’ve successfully implemented this programme in Swartland, Delft, Grabouw, and will soon launch one in Mitchells Plain. We are particularly proud of the Delft programme as  it is a perfect example of the efficacy of whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches. This programme started with 25 ambassadors last year, and has expanded to 49 trained volunteers assisting DSD, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and NGOs in Delft to better support GBV victims.

But this Public Service Month, I am asking residents of the Western Cape to work with us in a different way.

Since April 2019, there were 41 reported incidents of crimes against DSD staff. These attacks range from robberies, assaults and threats, to attempted hijackings and hijackings. The incidents took place in Khayelitsha, Eerste River, Wynberg, Elsies River, Crossroads, Philippi, Gugulethu, Delft, Mfuleni, Mitchells Plain, Paarl and Langa. These are only the ones that were reported to the police. Staff also face daily harassment (physical and verbal) from community members, while simply trying to do their work. This adds to trauma experienced by staff, working in an often traumatic environment.

In nearly all of the reported incidents, staff were on duty. On 15 May 2024, a community development worker based at the Khayelitsha DSD office was hijacked and shot at while on duty. The following morning, a social worker was hijacked in Khayelitsha on her way to the office.

As management, we have taken a clear stance that the safety of staff comes first. We have implemented various safety measures, which I’ll refrain from mentioning to avoid tipping off opportunistic criminals. But, even with these, we know that more is required to keep staff safe. We also have to ensure services are rendered, because the work of DSD is crucial as it seeks to protect and support the most vulnerable in society, such as abused or neglected children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and women.

We simply cannot afford to be held ransom by callous criminals.

Last week, a policing Memorandum of Understanding was signed between WCG, national government, and the City of Cape Town. Just like Premier Alan Winde, I hope that with this MoU, we’ll see better resourcing of the SAPS in this province. WCG staff such as social workers and paramedics are often delayed in rendering essential services because they must wait for a police escort before entering a high-risk area. This has become a luxury; one we cannot afford when there is an abused child in need of assistance in a home.

I am encouraged by the Western Cape Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Social Development’s recent resolution to approach Justice Minister Thembi Simelane to classify attacks on social workers as crimes against the State. The committee has my full support. But this is only the first step, as ALL attacks on public servants on duty should be classified as crimes against the State. Paramedics, community workers, probation officers, child and youth care workers, all these government workers who work in areas with high crime levels are at risk while simply trying to serve the public. We need to send a strong and clear message to criminals that they will face the full might of the law when they harm public servants and impede their work.

Lastly, as I mentioned earlier: we need communities to support staff. Public servants are in your areas to serve YOU. But they are human beings, with families, just like you. Where you see criminality, please call it out or report it, where it is safe to do so. During Public Service Month, let us all emulate the power of Ubuntu, and work together to root out those elements which seek to harm and destroy the resilient, safe society we’re all striving towards.