Minister of Public Service and Administration, Collins Chabane, told innovators gathered at the awards ceremony that their innovations dispel the myth that public servants are lazy and incompetent people who can’t come up with creations to improve service delivery.

“The public service has been branded as un-innovative and this event tells a different story. Your innovations are important in modernising the public service and improving service delivery,” he said to a loud applause.

“The quality of the projects here bears the high level of creativity in the public service and they will lay a crucial part in making the National Development Plan (NDP) a reality.”

The Department of Roads and Transport in Limpopo walked away with the coveted prize of the Innovator of the Year Award beating tough competition from other competitors.

Their innovation that won the department a trophy and R60 000 is a Jojo Diesel Tank that enabled the department to reduce costs and improve service delivery.

The departmental team at Modimolle Mechanical Workshop designed a tank which is compatible with a bakkie. It was fitted into eight bakkies with a diesel pump and a gauge which led to reduction of running costs amounting to R2 million and eliminated diesel spillages.

One bakkie was able to service three graders carrying 600 litres of diesel. Recycled material was used to build a support structure for the frames to secure the tank.

Chief Artisan and Head of the Modimolle Mechanic Workshop, Jacobus Potgieter, could not contain his excitement during an interview with SAnews. “I’m excited and did not expect us to win in this tough category,” he said with a big smile on his face.

Potgieter said he would like to see department implementing the Jojo Diesel Tank in other places across the province. “This is a good innovation and I think it will save the department a lot of money and I think it should be rolled out in other places.”

His colleague and Senior Manager of Roads and Transport in the Waterberg District, Annique Moloisi, said she was confident coming to the ceremony.

“Of course, I knew that we were going to win, especially in our category.” Moloisi echoed Potgieter’s sentiments about taking the innovation to other districts of the province.       

Other Winners

Innovative use of ICTs for Effective Service Delivery

•   Winner: Digital Pen for Mental Health by the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal;

•   First runner-up: Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in

KwaZulu-Natal;

•   Second runner-up: Gauteng Agriculture Potential Atlas; and

•   Third runner-up: Elections Mobile Application from the Independent Electoral

Commission.

Innovative Service Delivery Institutions  

•   Winner: Jojo Diesel Tanks by the Department of Roads and Transport, Limpopo;

•   First runner-up: RAF on the Road by the Road Accident Fund;

•   Second runner-up: Safe Anaesthesia for Africa Project, Ngwelezane Hospital, KwaZulu

    Natal; and

•   Third runner-up: Dietetics Creche Outing: Malnutrition Kicked Out, Department of

    Health, Limpopo.

Innovative Enhancements of Internal Systems of Government   

•   Winner: Case Management and Community Empowerment, Tembisa Hospital,

    Gauteng;

•   First runner-up: Pharmacy Automisation, Helen Joseph Hospital, Gauteng;

•   Second runner-up: Extra School Support Programme, Department of Education,

    Gauteng; and

•   Third runner-up: Open Development Engine, Cooperative Governance, Human

    Settlement and Traditional Affairs, Limpopo.

Innovative Partnership in Service Delivery 

•   Winner: The Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Department of Health, KwaZulu

    Natal;

•   Joint first runner-up: Learn-not-to-Burn Programme, Department of Education,

    Gauteng and Community Food Production Units, Gauteng Department of Agriculture  

    and Rural Development; and

•   Second runner-up: Lego Project, Tshwane South District in partnership with Hands on

    Technology.