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The APSD has become an important strategic event on the African Union (AU) calendar which emanated from the decision of the first Conference of African Ministers for Civil/Public Service (CAMPS) in their meeting held at Tangiers, Algeria. The meeting proclaimed June 23rd as the APSD.

This decision was later endorsed by the African Union Heads of State and Governments. Top of the APSD agenda event is to mark and appreciate the work being done by the public service and to recognize their positive contribution to the socio-economic development of the continent.

This year of 2016, the Provincial Government of the Free State Celebrated the African Public Service Day here at Setsoto Local Municipality. The celebration was devided into two activities.
On day one the 22nd of June 2016 Public Servants embarked on cleaning campaign at different Health Service Points namely Phomolong Clinic, Masebabatso Clinic, Meqheleng Clinic and Phutholoha Hospital.
The day’s activity included cleaning , data capturing, dispensing of medication and registrations of patients.

On day two the 23rd of June 2016, a think-tank Roundtable engagement and Conversation on the theme and sub-themes in advancing the different aspirations of Agenda 2063, the African Charter and Sustainable Development Goals on Gender Mainstreaming was held at Mapenyadira Hall. The day’s activity included different government departments rendering services to the community. The departments amongst others included HomeAffairs, Human Settlement, Health, Rural Development and Land Reform etc..

APSD serves as a platform for African public service to interact, showcase and reward good initiatives and achievements nationally and across the continent. It further provides an invaluable opportunity for public servants to promote values such as professionalism, accountability, responsiveness, ethics and performance in the delivery of public service.
The common theme for the National and Continental APSD celebration is:
“The Role of Public Services in Women Empowerment, Innovation and Accessible Service Delivery”

The Africa Public Service Day Sub-Themes are:

Innovation in Public Service performance towards accessible and effective service delivery
Public Service Women empowerment towards achievement of African agenda 2063 in the context of service delivery
Accessible Public Service towards Effective, Efficient and Sustainable service delivery.

The targeted sectors for the build-up activities for the APSD include Education, Health, Human Settlement sectors and Thusong Centres.

United Nations has declared the 05 June as a day in which World Environment Day is celebrated worldwide to raise global awareness to take positive environment action to protect nature and the planet earth.* In South Africa June is declared as the National Environment Month and is celebrated by creating awareness on the importance of environmental care and management.

Setsoto Local Municipality in partnership with Youth Jobs in Waste hosted an Exhibition to celebrate World Environmental Day. The aim of the exhibition was to educate and inform the youth and leaners about environmental care and management and to further inform them on various opportunities and careers that are within the environmental sector.

The exhibition was successful as all the stakeholders that were invited were present on the day.* Mr Malefetsane Motjetje, who is staying in Meqheleng was one of the stakeholders who was displaying his art work. He was also recruited by Die Blik Plek to work with them to further expand his work.

STAKEHOLDERS WHO TOOK PART
The following stakeholders were present on the day and took part. They exhibited their programmes as expected.

Different stakeholders and role-players were invited to exhibits their key programmes towards saving the environment on the day. By educating our community (especially Youth) to take ownership of the environment, the environment will be conserved for the benefit of the present and the future generations.
“The important message that the municipality wanted to convey to the community is to take responsibility for the environment. Everyone is responsible for the environment as the basis of human existence and incidents such as illegal dumping, littering, uncontrolled veld fires, cutting of trees and polluting our air and water are all contributing to land degradation and thus destroy our environment” said Me Nthai Ngwepe Setsoto Environmental Management Officer.

Bloemfontein Zoo
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Department of Environmental Affairs
Die Blik Plek
Enviromobi
Malefetsane
Maluti a Phofung Water
Meqheleng Recycling Center
National Youth Development Agency
SANParks (Golden Gates)
University of the Free State
Youth Jobs in Waste

Youth was encouraged to consider studying towards environmental management and to use environment as an opportunity to start their own businesses (e.g. Recycling). The exhibition provided the youth and learners with the necessary knowledge/skills/attitude to be able to collectively address and try to solve the issues we are all faced with, for the sake of sustainability.
There is a saying “If you are thinking in one hundred years – educate people” and by educating communities to take ownership of their environment; we are preserving our environment for the benefit of the present and the future generations.