Two Potchefstroomers on Mail and Guardian’s top list of best public servants

Potchefstroom boasts with two public servants, Glenville Fransman and Kelebogile Trom, who made the Mail & Guardian’s famous list of South Africa’s top 40 public servants. They are a beacon of dedication, selflessness, and professionalism and show what it means to be committed and faithful to the Batho Pele principles – putting people first.

The Mail & Guardian, a well-known weekly newspaper from Jozi, compiled the list last year and all the names were announced in December 2020. According to the newspaper, these nominations inform the public about the work public servants do and why they have chosen careers in the public service. “It also shows the many ways government services make life better for all of us. Government workers do important work that positively impacts South Africa,” says Sipho Kings, Mail & Guardian’s acting editor-in-chief.

According to Fransman, people are nominated nationally and eliminated through interviews over two months. Glenville Fransman was chosen for the important work he does in his community. He grew up without a mother and was adopted by his aunt, Majorie Harwood. His aunts and uncles in Promosa instilled in him the value of community and a need to give back. Fransman shares his experiences with the youth of Potchefstroom and Promosa, inspiring them to turn away from a life of gangsterism and drugs. He also draws on past mistakes while honouring the people and leaders who greatly influenced his own life. For the past 16 years, he has encouraged the youth to turn away from bad influence and continues to inspire them to build better lives for themselves. “I feel blessed to serve the public, considering the mistakes I made growing up. As the Bible teaches us, ‘If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles’ – this motivates me to be a servant of the people because I love my family and my community,” Fransman says.

Kelebogile Trom started working as a police officer in 2004. She is a sergeant at the Ikageng Police Station where she works as a communications officer and court orderly for domestic violence and harassment cases at the Ikageng Branch court. She also appears on local radio stations, where she educates the community about crime and offers safety tips. The Mail & Guardian reported that Trom initially got into the profession simply because she was looking for a job, but later realised that her career was not only about her but also about being able to help her community fight crime. “I love my job because I get to serve and protect lives every day. [Beyond that, I am] able to help people to make better choices [so they don’t] find themselves in jail,” she says. According to Trom, her job provides her with meaningful and challenging tasks. For her, it is manageable because she works with a supportive team that provides her with information to do her job well, which, in the process, boosts her confidence. “What motivates me, even more, is being valued and recognised within my workplace and the community,” she says.