The Asset and Fleet Management Directorate under the leadership of Nandipha Tembo who has been recently employed as a Director of Fleet, Asset and Logistics, hosted an Asset and Fleet Management Forum in East London on 21-22 September 2017.

The forum’s aim was to address issues that affect the way state resources are utilized and managed. The Directorate has been without a Director for a number of years so accountability and performance have been affected tremendously.

With Tembo joining the Directorate, this is a step forward in bridging the gap in terms of bringing progress and positive change in the Department particularly the Directorate. The forum is a first of its kind, where both Asset and Fleet Practitioners from all Education Districts congregate under one roof to discuss matters of concern surrounding their work and capacitate one another on legislation and regulations that govern Asset and Fleet Management in the Public Service. Provincial Treasury was also present to speak more on legislation and encourage officials to not deviate from what is stipulated and follow proper procedures at all times.

Officials utilized this platform to voice out challenges that impact and affect their work, ranging from misuse of vehicles, unpaid and unreported traffic fines, missing and unregistered assets etc. Speaking to Nomawethu Kewana, transport Officer at Head Office, she indicated that over and above the misuse of vehicles, one major problem is that of unpaid traffic fines, as officials tend to not report fines or go to an extent of hiding them. During his presentation, Solly Tutu highlighted the same problem. He also mentioned that all departmental vehicles are installed with a tracking device therefore, officers must make use of the tracking application when they have discovered misconduct or misuse.

This was also a platform where practitioners educated one another on processes and procedures to follow when procuring, dispensing and disposing assets as well issuing of state vehicles to departmental officials.

Emphasis was also made on the issue of lost assets. The office of the Director stressed that all officials who have lost state assets must be made aware that, it is their responsibility to pay for what is lost.

This forum also addressed and reflected on the annual audit results where the department received a qualification on Assets. “This year the Department received a qualification on Assets, we are unpacking the cause of that qualification and how we can improve processes and internal controls in the Department to avoid the recurrence of such, “ said Tembo.

The two days have been utilized effectively to come up with improvement plans and also ensure that there is uniformity in terms of job descriptions and how things are done.