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.

The Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDOE) together with the South Africa Council of Churches (SACC) has embarked on a partnership that will see the 24 Religious Heritage Schools in the Eastern Cape become centers of excellence.

On the 22-24 September 2017 a Religiuos Heritage Expo was held at St Matthews, with an aim to resurrect and restore the school to its former glory and even beyond. This is the beginning of a relationship that seeks to bring positive change in the education of the Province. Speaking during the expo, ECDoE Superintendent General, Temba Kojana highlighted the role of the Department in this partnership.The ECDoE has already begun with improvement of infrastructure as they have started refurbishing and renovating structures.“The refurbishment of hostels is also currently underway or finished in Clarkbury, Healdtown, Mt Arthur and Free Mantle. Healdtown will also benefit from an additional new R3O million hostel, the contractors are currently on site,” said Kojana.

He continued to express the eagerness and keenness of the Department to work with the Council of Churches in establishing these schools as centers and models of excellence in the Eastern Cape. “We share your zeal and commitment of ensuring that these schools, as they are restored to be models of excellence, they become beacons of hope for all our schools that are currently working very hard to restore the image of our education system”.

Preceding the main event was a visit to the memorial site of the three people who were instrumental in the establishment of St Mattews. The delegation from ECDOE and SACC led by Ebenezer Ntlali, Bishop of the Anglican Church of the Grahamstown Diocese remembered Bishop John Armstrong (Founder), Charles Taberer (Priest Builder) and Chief Socishe(Chief Benefector).Ntlali gave a brief background on the history of St Matthews and the relationship between Chief Socishe and Bishop Armstrong. It is the work done by these three stalwarts that we see the revival of St Matthews today.

Chief Solomon Nkululeko Socishe was also present to honour the work done by his great grandfather when approached by Bishop Armstrong for land, donated 698 hectares for the building of St Matthews.

This collaboration sees the beginning of great things to come in the Eastern Cape in building a society that is moral and passionate about education. “We seek to nurture wholly developed morally upright citizens who would go on to be leaders of their communities”, concluded Kojana.