The legislative mandate which underpins the strategic goals of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer is clearly defined in the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and Treasury Regulations which directly influence the financial operating environment in the Limpopo Department of Roads & Transport. Financial Services' mission is to provide the department with efficient and effective support in the utilisation of government resources by the preparation, execution and monitoring of budgets; to provide guidance on the utilisation of allocated funds; report on budgets to Provincial Treasury, ensure compliance to policies, legislation, regulations and delegations; manage the administrative and logistical support for procurement processes and plan, execute and monitor financial reforms. In respect of expenditure monitoring, the control, close monitoring and analysis of the department's monthly expenditure reports assisted in timeously identifying areas of potential over spending, resulting in the department remaining within its allocated budgets.
The Chief Directorate: Corporate Services is responsible for the provision of effective support services to the department. The Chief Directorate provides guidance and a clear way through bureaucratic processes, by providing support with Human Resource Management, Human Resource Development, Labour Relations, Policy Co-ordination and Strategic Planning, Performance Management, Employee Wellness, Transformation & Service Delivery and Work Study.
The Chief Directorate: Government Information Technology Office is responsible for the provisioning and maintenance of IT infrastructure and systems and IT support to all users. The GITO strives towards business process re-engineering, using IT as an enabler to transform the department's daily operations for efficiency and accountability. The Chief Directorate also manages corporate communication services and inter-governmental relations for the department.
The Chief Directorate: Internal Support is responsible for district services and provides internal support with records management, infra-structure and office facilities, security and legal services. The Chief Directorate also controls the departmental and provincial vehicle fleet.
Overview The Chief Directorate focuses on the maintenance of roads and roads related infrastructure. It is aimed at facilitating the economic development of the province and its people and to supply safe roads and roads related infrastructure.
The Chief Directorate mainly focuses on provision of public transport in Limpopo province. It further ensures that there is compliance and that the public transport industry is properly regulated. The Chief Directorate also facilitates transport infra-structure research and planning in line with the Integrated Development Plans (IDP's) of municipalities. The Chief Directorate further promotes non-motorised transport through their bicycle and donkey cart projects.
The main aim of this chief directorate is to plan, develop, regulate, and facilitate the provision of public, freight and air transport services and infrastructure through provincial resources and co-operation with national and local authorities as well as the private sector in order to enhance the mobility of all communities, particularly those currently without or with limited access.
Public transport and freight infrastructure relates to the facilities for modes that are utilized by the passenger for rewards/payment like bus stations, taxi ranks, rail stations and airports including for non-motorized transport like bicycles and animals (animal drawn carts). Freight infrastructure is more on the logistic facilities like transfer facilities which could be incorporated into Intermodal Facilities and rail infrastructure; the cross-border facilities in terms of ensuring speedy transit, and developing certain freight high volume corridors to enhance freight mobility and or shorten distances between commodities/producers and markets.
Current infrastructure is old, not integrated and not user friendly; relatively far from passengers particularly switching from one mode to the other where passengers take longer time; the present infrastructure does not encourage long operation hours and thereby limiting business hours; it is abundantly managed by operators and prone to bias and promotes conflicts. Rural areas are hardest hit on this challenge. The chief directorate have prioritised main economic centers in all districts for development of Intermodal Facilities to respond to this.
In terms of freight, the road infrastructure is inadequate to carry the heavy loads. There is a need to transfer some freight to rail or air. Traffic congestions delay freight transportation and some commodities lose value along the way e.g., farm produces while the time taken on the movement of goods generally determines the cost. The issue of infrastructure is also linked to the entire transport system which should be complementary and provide modal choice and preference hence the need for rail development as well.
The biggest challenge for us is to provide roads support for these corridors to link up with other provincial roads and also ultimately lead to the border posts including linkage to Maputo Corridor, Richards Bay and other major activity nodes. The principles should also include densification; shortened travel distance and time. Furthermore the economic viability of each corridor development must focus on long-term employment and sustainable development, and to preferably favour local content (labour, materials and equipment) as well as projects that offer long term capital investments with the potential of low operating costs, that is high efficiency long term solutions. Public transport sub-directorate(empowerment and institutional management) assisted taxi operators by showing them the importance of safety and by undertaking a course to implement those skills.
The Chief Directorate is responsible for the provisioning of traffic control and traffic policing, road safety education and awareness, transport administration and licensing and traffic training services in Limpopo province. The aim of the Chief Directorate is to reduce road traffic accidents and injuries through intensified road safety education and law enforcement programmes and to regulate driving and vehicle licences in Limpopo province. The Chief Directorate also focuses on overloading control to protect the road infra-structure, not only of the province but the whole country. Traffic Training is done by the Manenu Traffic Training College. Traffic control, traffic policing, overload control and road safety education and awareness services are rendered by the five operational districts of the department. Traffic control, traffic policing and overload control services are rendered by Traffic Stations and Traffic Control Centres in the different districts.
Both these agencies are funded by the department and are accountable to the MEC in terms of delivering services according to their mandate. The agencies are fully functional entities and work in line with the departments key strategic objectives.