Department of Transport and Public Works wins Batho Pele Awards

On Friday, 30 October, the Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) was awarded two top 2020 National Batho Pele Excellence Awards at an event near Johannesburg. DTPW won gold in the Best Functioning Provincial Department Award of the Year category, and our HOD Jacqui Gooch won silver in the Best Head of Department of the Year (Provincial Government) Award category. These awards represent independent acknowledgement on the national stage of how well DTPW and our HOD performed during the 2019/20 financial year.

“I appreciate the acknowledgment of the national Department of Public Service and Administration for DTPW. It’s an incredible achievement; something for the Department and its staff to be proud of”, said HOD Jacqui Gooch.

“An opportunity like this is something which allows us to say thank you to the leadership team and to every single staff member in our Department for the work that they do each and every day in trying to improve citizens’ lives in the Western Cape and enabling them to lead lives that are filled with dignity. As a Department, we are continually striving to improve what we do. Awards of this nature help us to know that we are moving in the right direction, and are actually achieving something which others appreciate and acknowledge.”

The full list of Batho Pele awards won by Western Cape Government departments and officials is as follows:

Best Head of Department (Provincial Government):

• Dr Beth Engelbrecht, Western Cape Department of Health – Gold.
• Jacqui Gooch, Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works – Silver.
• Graham Paulse, Western Cape Department of Local Government – Bronze.

Best functioning Provincial Department:

• Western Cape Department of Health – Gold.
• Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works – Gold.
• Western Cape Department of Local Government – Silver.
• Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning – Bronze.

The Western Cape also won silver for best functioning Provincial Department Office of the Premier.

The 13 categories of the annual National Batho Pele Excellence Awards aim to entrench the professionalisation of the public service, to recognise, reward and acknowledge public servants who are performing beyond the call of duty, and to encourage excellence in the public service.

“I am incredibly proud of our committed and hardworking provincial government departments, and I am honoured to work with such dedicated public servants”, said Premier Alan Winde on the day. “Let’s continue to serve the people of this province with clean, excellent government. And let us all remember to play our part in delivering jobs, safety and dignity for all in the Western Cape.”