SPEECH PRESENTED BY THE MINISTER FOR
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY
HONOURABLE JABULILE MASHWAMA
LAUNCH OF SWSC CUSTOMER SERVICE
CHARTER
06 MARCH 2014
EZULWINI
Chairpersons of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy Portfolio
Committees,
SWSC Board members present,
SWSC Managing Director and other Managing Directors present,
Distinguished guests,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and gentlemen.
I am honoured to be invited to this important event where we are launching the
Swaziland Water Services Corporation Customer Service Charter. We come here
today not to launch another document but witness an assurance by Water services
Corporation to provide a bench mark in service provision synonymous with the first
world status vision. This is a continued team effort to provide a level of service that is
second to none.
The importance of a Customer Service Charter cannot be overemphasized as
amongst other things it enables customers to get the most out of an organisation's
services. I am happy to note that SWSC as a customer centric organisation is
working hard to continuously improve product quality and service in line with the
Corporation’s vision which is to delight customers in the provision of potable water,
wastewater disposal and other services.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Adherence to quality service provision is no longer an option but a requirement for
Government entities, as customers (the Swazi nation) are now more informed and
empowered. His Majesty through his speech from the throne, directed Parliament to
have a set of indicators that are the key measures of the provision of social services
to the people. Honourable Members of Parliament from different constituencies are
also calling on Government officials to deliver quality service to the nation and we, as
SWSC, have to play our part in the call to better service delivery.
This charter we see before us today represents the culmination of remarkable hard
work, dedication and focus by Management and staff of SWSC. In order to reach this
stage, Swaziland Water Services Corporation decided to go back to the beginning
and understand again, exactly why the entity was created in the first place: “What
was the Spirit behind the 1992 enactment of Parliament which created it?”
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The ultimate goal was to take water as a scarce resource and manage its provision
to the nation. The major question then was, was the Corporation doing this to the
best of its ability and what did its customers think? I am told that a nation-wide
customer satisfaction survey was conducted in 2012, whose findings further
contributed to the improvement of the document we are launching today.
A new mindset and way of doing business resulted from this process: A mind set of
putting into practice the corporation’s vision of delighting customers. SWSC here
today is undertaking to ensure that customer satisfaction is to form the basis of every
undertaking: Where before any decision or action is carried out, the first and
foremost question will be, “what impact will this have on customers?”
Mr Managing Director and SWSC staff,
Government is proud of this step that you have taken. We are not only proud of what
you are doing today but we are proud of the milestones that have been achieved by
the Corporation. We have seen that the image of commitment to excellence that
SWSC has cultivated and promoted is drawing the interest of other countries world
over. We have seen the hosting of international conferences on water and study
tours of entities and politicians from various nations seeking to emulate what we are
doing here in Swaziland. This is a trend we hope to see continue.
Before I conclude I would like to note that in order for this Customer Service Charter
to be a success, all stakeholders must play their part: The Corporation must meet
the defined service levels and the customers must carry out their obligations.
Success will only be achieved if everyone plays their part; this is the same not just
here but in everything we do in the Kingdom; achieving His Majesty’s 2022 requires
a collective effort.
This will not be an easy undertaking but it is one that the corporation has committed
to. The targets we see before us are taking us to first world levels, certainly above
anything that currently obtains on the continent.
I call upon you all here today to support the Corporation as we unpack and launch
this charter today. Let us all commit to supporting this noble effort, let every
comment, suggestion or question be constructive, not destructive.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is now my singular honour to declare the
Swaziland Water Services Corporation Customer Service Charter officially launched.
May the Lord bless us all; Good Morning.
I thank you