Re-launch of the Mamelodi Thusong Service Centre

- By Peter Gumede

12 November 2010

Unveiling of the Plague, Minister Colins Chabane and the Executive Mayor Kgosientsho Ramokgopa	Minister and Executive Mayor addressing the Media	One of the beneficiaries of donated wheel chairs

On 12th November 2010, Minister Collins Chabane launched the Mamelodi Thusong Service Centre at Mamelodi in the City of Tshwane since it became operational in September 2002.  Currently there are 44 centres fully operational in Gauteng but they are only launched after a reasonable period of operations to ensure optimum functionality.  The programme is now well into its second phase with Cabinet having approved a 2014 business plan for the initiative which seeks to establish a Thusong Centre in each of South Africa’s 283 municipalities.

This launch celebrates this service delivery milestone but above all recognizes the achievements of government in developing a government wide access strategy as part of the overall plans to develop a Single Public Service.  The Minister was accompanied by the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane, the Chief Whip and the Speaker from the City of Tshwane. These principals attended a short briefing session which was presented by the Provincial Director of Gauteng, Mr Peter Gumede.

The Minister and other political principals were taken on a tour of the Mamelodi Thusong Centre which included visiting the exhibition stalls of the departments (Dept of H/Affairs, SASSA, Office of the Premier, Mamelodi Business Community, Government Communications, department of Local Government and Housing, USAID, and all departments in the City of Tshwane Metro). The principals also visited the Customer Care Centre which is a section where the General services counter is installed with three agents who are mending the counter. There after proceeded to the chamber where the official programme was held.

After the Minister has delivered his key note address a DVD presentation was presented to the audience. The DVD was profiling a success story of an environmental assessment conducted by our SCO based in Alexandra Thusong Centre and how the community member was assisted by the service providers at the Alexandra Thusong Centre. This case study demonstrate how effective the Thusong Centre can be if services are offered in an integrated manner. In addition the video highlighted the success story of an official marriage that took place at the Home Affairs Mobile Unit in Mamelodi on 8 September 2010.

The Minister and the Executive Mayor unveiled the plague and handed over 31 wheel chairs to previously disadvantaged people living with disabilities. The need for the wheel chairs was identified via the office of the Executive Director of the Mamelodi Thusong Centre, Ms Kgomotso Mohlala. These wheel chairs were procured through a partnership with the private sector. This gesture is another demonstration of how government can be more effective in responding to the service delivery needs of our communities if it works in an integrated manner.

After opening the plague they signed a pledge to seal their commitment and support to the new partnership between the City of Tshwane Customer Care Centre Programme (TCCCP) and the Thusong Service Centre programme (TSCP). This initiative gave birth to the merger of the business plans of the TCCCP and the TSCP which resulted into a fully branded Mamelodi Thusong Service Centre which is the only one fully branded Centre in Gauteng.
In addition, the City redeployed one of it’s deputy directors to perform the functions of the centre manager, including three learners who will be mending the General Service Counter. All these officials have attended the PALAMA Excellent Customer Care Training.

The Minister was then guided to a media briefing session with SABC radio & Television including print media and three community radio stations viz; Soshanguve, Moretele & TUT.  At the end of the programme the Minister and the Executive Mayor were guided to an OB Van where they engaged the listeners.