Provincial/Local Ubungcweti Award 2003
 Winner: Josephine Kasumba
Department of Works, Roads and Transport (Free State)
Background
Josephine is a Principal Communication Officer in the Free State Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, responsible for Internal Communication. She was nominated for the initiative she took in establishing an internal newsletter, Re A Bua. She is the editor and also writes articles, compiles information and ensures that the newsletter is widely distributed.
She has established a team of contact people, spread around the province to ensure every region is given publicity. This has ensured the gapping of the bridge between Head Office and the regional offices.
Josephine also started the MEC Floor Walks, which serves as a form of departmental Imbizo to promote face-to-face communication between political Heads of Department and employees. Another one of her innovations is the Info Desk, which is a mobile device that disseminates relevant departmental information like the vision and mission and other key messages that affect the officials of the department.
 Finalist: Mary Kodisang
Office of the Premier (Free State)
Background
Mary heads the Communication Services Directorate in the Free State. She has been nominated for her empathetic leadership that keeps staff focused upon the outcome and total effect of their actions upon the lives of communities they serve.
Mary was the driving force behind the organising of 12 successful ‘ EXCO meets the People ' campaigns and two Imbizo Focus Weeks that were held in the Free State. She also ensured, under difficult circumstances, that the three Multi-Purpose Community Centres (MPCCs) are operational and services are running well. She was also the driving force to ensure the establishment and approval of a personnel structure at each MPCC, as well as a management structure at Head Office in the Office of the Premier.
She constantly negotiated with top management to ensure funds for the operational side of the MPCCs and to obtain funds for the establishment of new MPCCs.
Finalist: Communications and Marketing Department
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
(Photo not available)
Background
The two-year amalgamation into the single municipal entity of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality required high levels of dedication and commitment of its 16 000 municipal employees.
During this time employees rallied under continuous change experience on many levels. Toward the end of the first quarter of 2003, the Communications and Marketing Department decided to communicate the positive aspects of change to employees in ways that would make them realise they are valued and that their hard work directly contributes to the success of the metro.
The department decided on a tangible, yet corporate, token of appreciation that each employee, regardless of designation or level in the organisation would receive. The Department has been nominated for its Employee Pack, which overall objective was to reiterate the ethics and objectives of the organisation in an informal, almost playful, non-management way so that employees will more readily buy into the corporate ideals. The project was very successful in boosting morale and more campaigns of this nature will be entered into.
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