We are all employed for a particular reason and paid according to our jobs and requirements.
Many of us, those who are privileged to work, wake up daily, in some instances not because we like it, but to put bread on the table.
This requires maximum output, commitment to the course and dedication. Maximum output means we do our best and put our best foot forward. We strive to deliver, regardless, and we work until we cannot do it anymore.
Such commitment means we put our hearts into what we do to ensure we produce the desired outcomes. Dedication means we set time aside to focus on the task at hand. These are particularly fundamental for any business to succeed. Those in the private sector, especially top management, will confirm time is not everything. The bottom line matters. This refers to the profits and business sustainability. These ensure longevity and business growth.
The same cannot be said of the government or civil servants. Our taxes sustain most government departments. Yes, there are departments that are income generators. However, zeal among workers in the private and public sectors is not the same. There are many dysfunctional government departments and state-owned enterprises (SOEs), yet employees still demand salary increases and bonuses, unthinkable in the private sector.
In most companies employees get increases and bonuses based on performance or through individual evaluation in the form of their KPAs (Key Performance Areas) or KPIs (Key Performance Indicators); they earn it depending on their score. This is also a driving force for some employees. People know they will not get recognition if they do not deliver or achieve certain scores. Suggest this to our government colleagues and there will be blood on the floor.
The government is there to render services, yet this is often appalling, to say the least. It is rare to hear people complimenting government departments or services. Yes, there are individuals who go the extra mile, but also rotten potatoes that must go to waste.
I salute the many doctors who work at state hospitals. I had the opportunity to see what they go through daily in trying and at times dangerous conditions. These are individuals who deserve salary increases. They work in unfashionable areas, serving our communities with passion and commitment.
The City of Cape Town is often praised for its efficiency, and compared to other municipalities across the country it is found to be doing an excellent job. However, I have found it too is not immune to inefficiency. In the second half of last year I formally lodged a complaint about my neighbour’s illegally-constructed structure. This involved numerous calls and emails to City officials, yet none of them even bothered to respond.
Yet they always promise swift action yet, to date, nothing has come of my express grievance. The next move will be to escalate the matter to line managers.
Why must we always fight for what is due to us? How long must this go on? Why can’t we receive services without first having to raise our voices? And these are people who will be demanding increases and bonuses; why must someone get an increase or a bonus if they cannot do their work?
Our government must put our needs first before lining the pockets of their employees. We surely cannot continue to suffer because of the incompetency of individuals in positions of power.
