Personnel transfer not an easy feat says MEC Ndou

SOME 2 575 officials responsible for the core and support functions of the former department of roads, will be transferred to the newly reconfigured department of public works, roads and infrastructure.

This was according to public works, roads and infrastructure MEC, Jerry Ndou, at his budget speech last week.

“This is not an easy feat as the task comes with major responsibilities and challenges,” Ndou said.

“The reconfiguration of the department requires organisational assessment and alignment with the new mandate of the department.

“The service delivery model and organisational structure will be reviewed to accommodate critical infrastructure-related functions such as contract management, legal services and infrastructure procurement to ensure the department is well equipped to serve in terms of its new mandates,” he explained.

The roads personnel would join the current 2 757 officials from public works, to create a workforce of over 4 000 people.

“The process was managed by the relevant commissions set up to facilitate the transition and was still to be finalised,” Ndou explained in his speech.

With the newly structured department comes an increase in budget. Some R1,7 billion has been set aside for infrastructure, R500 million of which would go towards the Expanded Public Works Programme and R1,2 billion of which would be allocated to the Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL).

Ndou said there would also be a transfer of the former department of road’s assets value at R347 million to the new department.

The overall budget for the 2014/15 financial year for the department of public works alone was R928,6 million, which was a 5% increase from the 2013/14 budget allocation.

This tabled budget did not include the budget allocation for the construction of road infrastructure projects, he said.

During the 2014/15 financial year, the department would implement 733 projects in the province including health projects, social development facilities, school projects, libraries, as well as the refurbishments of the Lebowakgomo government complex and the parliamentary village.

A total of 20 multi-year projects for the department of health would include 10 clinics, six emergency medical services (EMS) stations and for projects at Letaba Hospital valued at R60,8 million.

Ndou further said the department acknowledged the challenges they faced. “As a government ready to move South Africa forward, we have plans in place to address the shortcomings the department has faced in the past,” he said

These plans addressed capacity challenges as well as delivery challenges where infrastructure was concerned. A budget for R31 million had been allocated in the 2014/15 financial year for this initiative.