Annual Report 2005/06
24 October 2006
In early November 2006, the Gauteng Department of Public Transport, Roads
and Works' Annual Report for 2005/06 will be discussed in the Portfolio
Committee on Public Transport, Roads and Works, at the Gauteng Provincial
Legislature. The Annual Report includes a report by the Auditor-General (AG) on
the financial performance and compliance of the Department. This process is a
normal practice in any democracy and an essential component of transparent and
accountable governance.
The Annual Report demonstrates a marked improvement in terms of service
delivery towards the creation of jobs, building of socio-economic
infrastructure and improvement of the quality of public transport. In fact, the
victories scored by the department during the year in review have never been
achieved since 1994.
Some of our successes include:
* improved service delivery model for Public Works incorporating the
development of strategic master plans, changes in planning cycles, improvements
in project management and a track record of proactive client relations
* the development of high level strategic business plans for the
establishment of a 2010 public transport legacy programme incorporating
improved airport access, the introduction of Intelligent Transport Systems and
the introduction of improved passenger information and road signage
* the commencement of the bus subsidy transformation process, which involved
negotiations with PUTCO and the selling of North West Star operations to a new
operator
* successful implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme focus on
poverty pockets and key designated project areas, delivering project solutions
in the fields of waste management, community infrastructure, economic hubs,
roads and education facility sports playing fields
* changing citizen travel behaviour patterns as a result of such national
government initiatives as Public Transport Month, Car Free Day and the
formation of a Commuter Organisation for improved service delivery.
Though I am satisfied with the delivery progress I note that the AG's report
has also identified a lack of controls in many instances concerning Revenue,
Expenditure, Assets, Human Resources and Supply Chain within the department.
The report also identified a lack of supervision and capacity within the
department which has compounded the smooth running of the administration side
of the Department.
In view of these findings of the AG's report, I have developed a
comprehensive Turn-around Strategy that focuses on mitigating the issues raised
by the AG, where the Department will establish a number of corrective measures
and improvements to address financial management, supply chain and human
resource management deficiencies. In particular I have instructed the
department to:
* leverage additional skilled professional support to address backlogs in
reconciliations, compilation of source documentation, etc.
* to make sure that all the operational policies and procedures are finalised
and implemented
* to ensure that all managers performance contracts (were still not in place)
are in place and that the performance management system is functional and
aligned to the Turn-around Strategy.
Within this context, I appreciate the findings of the AG � in that the
findings highlight the management and operational processes that the Department
needs to improve in order to continue to effectively deliver a quality life to
all citizens in the province.
Enquiries:
Alfred Nhlapo
Tel: (011) 355 7532
Cell: 083 376 8496
Issued by: Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works, Gauteng
Provincial Government
24 October 2006
