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Policy and Budget speech 2001/02
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Road and Public Works

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EASTERN CAPE  PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
 DEPARTMENT OF ROADS AND PUBLIC WORKS
 POLICY AND BUDGET SPEECH 2001 / 02
 BY MEC MASUALLE
13 MARCH 2001




Honourable Speaker and Premier Makhenkesi Stofile
 Collegues  for the Executive Council
Honourable Members
Distinguished Guests and Fellow South Africans

Those who talk about the process of change commonly make judgements of value, often without realizing that they are doing so.&#133; It is 
on the readiness of men to borrow inventions and accept new ideas and techniques that civilization has been built. Groups whose members 
fail to adapt to changing circumstances are, like dinosaurs, doomed to extinction, but those which do adapt may live transformed&#133;.[1]

1.Introduction

The people of this province spent hundred years resisting colonial conquest and economic subjugation until and up to when they were 
ultimately conquered.What followed this conquest was a period over a century of systematic impoverishment and spatial underdevelopment 
encompassed under the separate development policies ensued by colonial and subsequent repressive regimes.

It is from these rubbles that we must rise as a people and a Province and unwind this historic legacy. The country as a whole has set 
priorities emanating from our President and our Province has followed suit in defining our specifics.

Today we are presenting to this House our humble contribution as a Department in pursuit of the broader goals set for the betterment of the 
lives of our populace.

Of the four principal areas of focus, this Department will play a major catalyst role for integrated, sustainable rural development and 
indeed the entire economic regeneration of our Province.We are also challenged to fast track the transformation of our service delivery 
mechanisms and avert the consequent sub-optimal utilization of available resources.

2.Some Reflections On 2000/01 Financial Year

The year we are about to close has been extremely pulsating for us in a number of ways. Through concrete practice, we have acquired 
considerable experiences both positive and negative. Amongst the achievements that we have marked are the following, to mention but a few:

* Successful implementation of the Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative.
* Our planning and design on roads successfully aligned to be on par with our Network Development Plans.
* Considerable progress has been recorded in the rationalization of redundant leases on properties thus unlocking resources for other 
development needs of government.
* We have also recorded satisfactory progress in the implementation of the disaster relief programme.

As already indicated, we have also suffered some major setbacks that had a direct bearing on our ability to carry out our mandate. To 
mention, but a few of, such setbacks, Honourable Speaker:

* We had a protracted inquiry against the former Head of Department that tended to compromise the much needed stability at the helm of any 
organization.
* Our province was reeling from a spate of disasters that had eroded our infrastructure, particularly roads, in a manner totally 
unprecedented.
* In critical areas of the organisation we experienced dire staff shortages which themselves contributed negatively in our performance as a 
Department. This problem becomes acute where such shortages are largely at professional and technical levels. In this regard, the 
pronouncement made by the MEC for Finance on the provision of a budget to attract professional staff in all departments is more than 
welcome.

The above is a summary of a complex organisational assessment about which I will deliberate on extensively when I table my annual report in 
a matter of weeks from today.

3.Our priorities for 2001/2

The Department has just concluded its strategic planning session where an annual business plan was concretised.

Over and above the priorities established for individual programs, we put forward as I do here today a number of transversal and 
overarching strategic priorities for the entire organisation. The successful implementation of work around these priority areas should 
constitute the real measure of the ability of the department to carry out its mandate. In a sense these priorities constitute a coherent 
program requiring maximum co-operation and teamwork amongst all programs and management of the department.

3.1.Getting the department to work

It is an open secret that our Department is not functioning optimally if the amount and quality of work done by every single employee of 
the department is anything to go by. We have endless accounts of poor and non-performance and a litany of employees who are famous for 
playing draughts, sit and do nothing day-in and day-out. (At times at no fault of theirs) At Head Office here, the situation is not that 
encouraging either with frightening levels of negligence on the part of our supervisory staff.

This situation can never be tolerated. The imperative for service delivery and the sheer volume of work that is facing us is dictating 
differently, we are going to have to do a lot better than this. And that is the bottom line.

* The advent of the new performance management system in the provincial administration could not have come at a better time. All officials 
of the department will have to be accountable for their work. All managers and not just senior managers will have signed performance 
contracts of varying types by 31 March 2001. The rest of the staff will have their agreements signed at different times depending on the 
process of introducing the system.
* This will have to be accompanied by a change in our work ethic. A lot more is going to be done to introduce a culture that is consistent 
with the principles of batho pele. This is a challenge to our senior management, and the staff as a whole.

3.2.Reengineering systems and policies

Our systems deserve a big shake-up. From paying our creditors to maintaining government buildings, our systems are simply not reflective of 
the departments commitment to serving its clientele.

All components will make the development of systems and policies a key priority for the year ahead. We will move towards a situation where 
quality and not just quantity of work done becomes our serious business. The development of computerised systems will receive urgent 
attention in all branches of the department.

3.3.Revitalisation of the management echelon

It is a fact that we have inherited a management structure that had no history of cooperation and teamwork. The dominant management style 
is the one that emphasises individualism and compartmentalisation of the business of the department. This too will change. By end April 
2001, the department will be joined by three senior managers as Directors for Central and EG Kei regions as well as Community Facilitation 
Program. The posts of Chief Director Buildings and Chief Director Finance will soon be advertised whist the Director Finance is due for 
interviews.

In a sense the senior management echelon of the department will be significantly revamped and this will be used as a platform for 
consolidating the management of the department.

3.4.Filling of critical posts

Urgent attention will be paid to ensure acceptable staffing levels within the professional disciplines where key service delivery outputs 
have been developed for the year. Treasury will be approached for additional funding in this regard. By July 2001 most if not all the posts 
identified will be filled. This will go a long way in minimizing the present over-reliance on consultants.

4.Program priorities for the year

The exercise will begin with the core function areas and complete with the support function as it transcends downwards.

4.1.Roads

The infrastructure of any country lays the foundation of its development and investment in it provides confidence in the economic, social, 
political and cultural growth of that particular country.[2]

This holds true for our Province and it can be argued that this is the greatest single challenge for the Department and the Province as a 
whole.

As a Department, we appreciate the visible improvement in the allocation of financial resources to tackle this gigantic task. 
Notwithstanding the distorted baselines in terms of the economic cluster departments, never in the life of this Department had we received 
or recorded such funding levels.

In the past, the Department has had to operate in an uncertain environment in terms of availability of resources. That uncertainty is 
behind us and thus in this financial year we shall be able to improve on our planning.

Our strategy of road infrastructure development is informed primarily by the fundamental imperative of integrated, sustainable rural 
development and below here is, we hope, testimony to that vision.

* Before end June 2001, we shall have produced a Three-year Roads Plan for construction of new works, for rehabilitation of existing 
infrastructure and maintenance thereof.
* A major re-organization of our units and operations will be undertaken in order to achieve optimal levels of efficiency in the 
Department. This exercise must and will be concluded with proper consultation with and amongst our strategic partners. This exercise must 
of necessity give more content and impetus to the continuing public and private partnership that has been ensuing within the Department.
* Our relationship with the newly established Municipal Councils will receive our utmost attention more so in terms of the new legislation 
that governs at local levels. The problems inherited from the erstwhile District Councils shall be dealt with to conclusion this coming 
financial year.
* Our commitment to fostering Public-Public Partnerships will also be enhanced by ensuring delegation of some of our responsibilities to 
Municipalities that possess the necessary capacity.We shall also solicit the involvement in key strategic projects of the South African 
National Roads Agency. Specific agreements will be entered into with these public sector entities to assist in the drive to maximise our 
impact.

Some of the key deliverables for this coming financial year include the following:

* Concluding projects already underway:
* Idutywa-Willowvale which begun in the previous financial year and is due for completion in March 2002. In the coming financial year, the 
department will be committing an amount of R26 500 million.
* Port St. Johns-Ntafufu road which is a partnership with central Government.The National Department of Public Works has contributed R20 
million over two financial years and our department is topping that up by an amount of R10.067 million in this financial year. A total of 
R30.067 million will have to be spent by the end of the financial year with the remainder to be funded in our next outer years of our MTEF.
* R72 (East London-Port Alfred).A partnership with the private sector will be explored to ensure acceleration of this project to its 
completion. An amount of R23 530 million will be spent on this road in the coming financial year.

* Projects to be started:

* Cala-Lady Frere.A detailed design will be concluded in mid-August this financial year on this project and at that stage tenders will be 
invited on the commencement of this project. An amount of R15 million will be committed this financial year.
* Cala  Elliot.Tenders will be invited on the commencement of this project before the end of May 2001 and an amount of R20 million is 
provided for the first phase.
* Maclear  Mount Fletcher.An amount of R25 million will be made available for the first phase for construction to commence on this road in 
the coming financial year. Towards the end of May, tenders will also be invited for this project.
* This coming financial year will also see the finalization of detailed designs towards upgrading into surfaced roads of the following: 
Sterkspruit  Tele bridge, T257 and N2  Kei Mouth.

As earlier indicated our strategy is like a three-legged pot, it is anchored on new works, rehabilitation and maintenance.

* On rehabilitation, our focal area will be on the re-construction of the unmaintenable roads. In this regard our construction units this 
financial year will conclude their current projects and advance to our next priorities.
* In this regard I am also happy to announce that the road between Ndabakazi and Tsomo will be reconstructed this coming financial year.
* Our maintenance strategy will now be more focussed, mainly supportive of two approaches enunciated above. Key in this will be our re-seal 
programme that will target more roads than the previous financial year.
* This financial year, on targeted basis, we shall be exploring the new technology in so far as road construction methods, specifically 
focussing on the low volume roads leading to strategic economical sites. These may be our tourist attraction points, resorts, reserves, 
archaeological sites, etc.
* Some other critical aspects that will receive our attention this financial year are bridges that for a long time had been neglected to 
avoid such calamities as recently shown on television in Italy.
* We shall also pay particular attention to the signage as well as fencing on our roads to improve safety of our road users.
* We further acknowledge the additional allocation of the R147 million conditional grant. A business plan will be developed before 20 April 
2001 for the sourcing of this funding from the National Government and trust that this will obviously increase in the following year.

The success of this strategy hinges on the re-orientation and re-focussing of internal Departmental capacity to be able to play a more co-
ordinative and strategic role in respect to all these endeavours.

A board of survey has already been conducted and the redundant plant and equipment shall be disposed this financial year. We now have the 
opportunity to consider the replenishment of our own plant and equipment so as to be better able to deliver and meet the expectations. 
Clearly this is going to be a multi-year programme requiring accurate and informed planning.

4.2.Buildings

Our province is experiencing untold backlogs in terms of both economic and social infrastructure. The last few years has witnessed 
acceleration in the provision of social infrastructure, in particular.

* As an important agent in that drive, our capacity will be enhanced by recruiting the necessary skills into the Department and seek to 
reverse the growing frustration that other Departments are beginning to experience.
* This financial year will see an improved effort on our part to co-ordinate the implementation of various government projects to ensure 
the success of government objectives over and above the creation of facilities. These include the acceleration of the empowerment goals as 
well as assessing our all-round impact in this regard.
* By the end of May 2001, the Department will have developed a maintenance plan that will attend to the present dilapidation of provincial 
assets.
* In an endeavour to keep our employees gainfully employed, the Department will introduce an in-house landscaping unit in the coming 
financial year. This will go a long way in restoring the image and dignity of our provincial buildings.

4.3.Community Facilitation

This program will be focussing on the following areas:

* Co-ordination of our impact on poverty alleviation through job creation. This will be done through re-orientating the public expenditure 
process in the department to realize the principles of the public works programme.
* The coming financial year will also see a concerted focus on the emerging contractor development programme in collaboration with other 
departments and the municipalities. As alluded in the previous policy speech, this particular will be launched on 28 March 2001 in Bisho.
* The outstanding Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiatives projects, i.e. the Coffee Bay bulk water supply as well as the Dwesa Access 
Road, will be completed in the first half of this financial year.
* A deliberate focus shall be placed in monitoring the implementation and adherence to the targeted procurement policies in the department. 
We will strive for a progressive improvement in the engagement of the previously disadvantaged sector within our economy.

4.4.Property management

The overarching priority for this component shall be to ensure cost effective methods of management of state properties. Among the 
achievables for the coming financial year, are the following:

* Asset management.Within the directives of the Public Finance Management Act, the department will vigorously investigate the development 
and implementation of a computerised Asset Management System.
* Revenue collection.Endeavours to increase the revenue base for the government will be intensified. Towards this end, a workshop will be 
convened in the first quarter of this financial year that will be able to ultimately bring about a proper revenue collection strategy for 
the department.
* Rationalization of redundant leases. Progress thus far recorded will be consolidated and emphasis progressively placed on the optimal 
utilization of public properties.

4.5.Risk management/Security Management

In relation to the minimizing of losses and risks to the government, the Department will be implementing, amongst others, the following:

* Improved security of all government buildings.
* Intensification of inspection in all our government stores.
* Creating the internal capacity to provide physical security to government buildings and exploring the possibility of transferring 
retrained personnel to other needy departments, principally the Department of Education.

4.6.Special programmes

Having just appointed the staff complement for this sub-programme in February 2001, the monitoring of the program content of the various 
branches in relation to their responsiveness to the empowerment of women, disabled and young people will be the focal point.

4.7.Management Services

This is a key support function in the department that has major interventions to institute in the coming financial year if the department 
is to be as effective and functional. Some of such interventions include, but are not limited to, the following:

* The implementation of the Public Finance Management Act with a special focus on both the development of systems and policies that will 
guarantee the effective and efficient utilisation of our resources.
* This development will be accompanied by an all-round training of all finance and line function personnel.
* Urgent steps are being taken to build better capacity in regions for all the areas of the management services in line with the 
consolidation of these service delivery centres.
* A broader human resources development strategy has been developed that has the net effect of dealing with backlogs in a decisive way and 
as the foundation for proper human resources management this process will be consolidated in the next financial year.
* Transport management will also receive greater attention with the department seeking to bring the entire fleet management under one 
control. This will end the fragmented management of the departmental fleet inherited from erstwhile three administrations.
* The responsibility of managers is to manage.Managers are responsible for all resources falling under them including human resources. It 
is on this understanding that we will be doing away with Programme 6 known as Supernumeraries. Every official of the department will resort 
back under his or her own manager. Programme Managers for Roads will thus be accountable for all personnel belonging to the Roads Branch 
including those who are additional to the establishment. This will improve the overall management of the department.

5.The sixth region

In view of the restructuring of the provincial departments for effective service delivery, the department of Roads and Public Works will 
move towards the creation of the sixth region in the Ukhwahlamba District Municipality area. This is clearly a long-term objective that 
will be implemented progressively with funds permitting.

6.Budget allocations per programme

Honourable Speaker, the actual budget allocations, in a comparative format with the previous financial year, for 20001/02 is as follows:

Programme        2000/01         Percentage of total budget 2000/01      20001/02        Percentage of total budget 2001/02
Roads    R 387,126.00   47%      R 559,810.00   59%
Buildings        R51,208.00     6%       R 201,139.00   21%
Community Facilitation   R6,549.00      1%       7,877.00       1%
Property Management      R 101,083.00   12%      R 101,283.00    11%
Management Services      R40,700.00     5%       R67,831.00     7%
Risk Management  R11,222.00     1%       R13,410.00     1%
Supernumeraries  R 231,258.00    28%     R-     0%

Totals   R 829,146.00            R 951,350.00

7.Conclusion

Honourable Members, it is now abundantly clear that as Government we have made a decisive turn in the creation and continued preservation 
of our asset base in terms of infrastructure.

We have always maintained our determination to succeed despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges.

We pledge here and now that in our daily activities, the commitment that the Government is placing in the development of the province and 
its people shall be accordingly reciprocated.

If by word and deed, we take our places amongst the ordinary people who position themselves amongst a nation that is at work to build a 
better life for all for a caring society, then should we expect that the poor of the world will set a garland of grace on our heads and 
present each and everyone of us with a crown of splendour. Thus we will arrive at the starting point that we are on course. [3]

I can only hope that this shall hold true for us in time.

I take this opportunity to thank my colleagues in the Executive Council, Members of the Public Works Standing Committee, staff from 
Treasury, our management team, however depleted, as well as staff in my immediate office.

Kgotso - Ke a leboa

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[1] Monica Wilson & Leonard Thompson, A History of South Africa to 1870
 [2] Honourable Minister Dullar Omar.
 [3] A nation at work for a better life,President Mbeki: 25 June 1999

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