Area Commissioner Moliehi’s stance on innovation

Many organizations have learnt that to create strategies in isolation is a critical mistake. People within organizations need to be involved and to be asked what they think. In this way innovation and a sense of ownership are stimulated.

The innovation process is an ongoing process involving the constant designing and development of new services, this process enables organizations to develop new markets and also satisfy the changing needs of society at large. Research into emerging, latent, needs of clients precedes this process enables organization to perpetuate value creation.

In his 2004 State of the Nation Address, the former president Thabo Mbeki said: “We must be impatient with those in the public service who see themselves as pen- pushers and guardians of rubber stamps, thieves intent on self- enrichment, bureaucrats who think they have a right to ignore the vision of Batho Pele, who come to work as late as possible, work as little as possible and knock- off as early as possible.

Batho Pele is a Sotho translation for “People First. It is and initiative to get public servants to be service orientated to strive for excellence in service delivery and to commit to continuous service delivery improvement. It is a simple and transparent mechanism, which allows citizens to hold public servants accountable for the level of services they deliver.

Based upon the latter is the mere reason for the “Manufacturing of Recyclable Sleeping Bags Innovation” at Goodwood Management Area.