Government's Thusong Service Centres have serviced over five million South Africans during the past year.
This figure was recorded by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), according to Dina Pule, deputy minister in the presidency for performance monitoring and evaluation.
Speaking at the GCIS budget vote speech, Pule said GCIS offices in every province provide support to provincial departments and the Thusong Service Centres in various municipalities.
The centres, formerly known as Multi-Purpose Community Centres, “provide a critical service at the coalface of delivery to our people”, added the deputy minister.
The centres were initiated in 1999 as one of the primary vehicles for the implementation of development communication and information, and to integrate government services into primarily rural communities.
”Government's vision for these centres is to provide every South African citizen with access to information and services within their place of residence and in each local municipality by 2014, with the purpose of improving the quality of their lives through integrated service delivery.”
The GCIS has managed the training of 999 government employees who serve in these centres. The network of centres is also complemented by over 40 linked up mobile units.
”In April, I visited the Manne Dipico Thusong Service Centre, in the Northern Cape, as part of service delivery monitoring and evaluation. I was impressed to observe that the centre was indeed bringing services closer to our people.”
Pule said that centre provides services to a minimum of 200 people a day. Key services rendered at that particular centre include those from the departments of home affairs, social development, health, the GCIS, as well as the local municipality.
”We must encourage the establishment of more centres such as these in all municipalities. This is a great example of how government departments can work together seamlessly and take services to the people.”
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