Call for nominations for Mpumalanga Premier’s Service and Youth Excellence Awards
7 Oct 2010
In the quest to unearth and reward excellence in the province, the Mpumalanga Provincial Government is calling on nominations for the Mpumalanga Premier’s Service and Youth Excellence Awards. Initiated in 2001, the awards are funded by the Mpumalanga Provincial Government. The awards have two main categories namely, Batho Pele and Youth categories.
For the first time this year the Premier’s Youth Excellence Awards are implemented in partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).
“The main objective of the Mpumalanga Premier’s Youth Excellence Awards is to support the pursuit of excellent standards of achievements among young men and women of the Mpumalanga province and we are proud to be associated with such an initiative,” says NYDA executive chairperson Andile Lungisa.
There are four sub-categories in the Premier’s Youth Excellence Awards. The Premier’s Entrepreneurship and Job Creation Award aims to reward an entrepreneurial project that has made an outstanding contribution to job creation.
The Premier’s Education Award is rewarded to youth who have made outstanding achievements in Grade 12 and in tertiary institutions, youth who have achieved through the development and implementation of innovative and creative community based educational projects/programmes.
The Premier’s Volunteerism Award rewards individuals or youth projects that have made an outstanding contribution in the lives of the people in communities through the rendering of voluntary services. The Premier’s Culture, Sport and Arts Award recognises youth who have achieved significantly in the areas of culture, sport and arts.
The Batho Pele category (Premier’s Service Excellence Awards) has five sub-categories; Education Institutions Category, Health Institutions Category, Back Office Operations Category for the service delivery institutions including schools, hospitals,clinics, courts, police stations, municipalities and government departments and parastatals. The other two sub-categories are Government Sponsored Programmes Category, which rewards Innovative enhancements of internal systems of government and the Public Sector Service Delivery Project of the Year Category.
November Mbonani, Mpumalanga Programme Coordinator for Service Excellence Awards says the awards have been running for nine years and have over the years rewarded excellent projects.
“The awards are a fitting tribute to individuals and teams whose commitment to the quality delivery of service has contributed to changing the lives of citizens in Mpumalanga while also contributing to job creation in the province. Prizes for the 2010 Mpumalanga Premier’s Service and Youth Excellence Awards amount to R320 000 of which R140 000 would go towards the Premier’s Youth Excellence Awards and R180 000 to the Premier’s Service Excellence Awards,” says Mbonani.
The nominees for the Mpumalanga Premier’s Service and Youth Excellence Awards should be people who reside in Mpumalanga province and the Youth Excellence Awards nominations are only open to young people between the ages of 14 and 35.
“Nominations close on 29 October 2010. We encourage youth and communities in Mpumalanga to visit the Mpumalanga Premier’s office, their nearest NYDA offices or their local municipality Youth Desks to obtain the nomination forms. Forms are also available at www.mpumalanga.gov.za or www.nyda.gov.za,” advises Lungisa.
For media enquiries please contact:
Mokope Taiwe
Media Liaison, Office of the Premier
Tel: 013 766 2288
Cell: 082 802 8460
Linda Mbongwa (for Youth Excellence Awards only)
Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Tel: 011 651 7053
Cell: 082 315 3217
Call 08600 Youth (96884) or visit
www.nyda.gov.za to locate
your nearest NYDA office.
Issued by: Mpumalanga Office of the Premier