KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department wins Gold at National Innovation Awards

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport secured the Gold award for the Best Implemented Project of the Year at the prestigious National Batho Pele and Innovation Awards (NBP&IA) and Public Sector Innovation Awards (PSIA) ceremony held at Emperor's Palace in Gauteng last week.

The event celebrated the vital role of innovation in enhancing public service delivery to citizens.

The MEC for Transport, Siboniso Duma, led a delegation to receive the award, which spoke of the the department's commitment to transforming KZN into a hub of infrastructure development.

Duma commended the hard work and dedication of Control Engineering Technician, Simphiwe Nene, and other committed staff members within the Transport Infrastructure and District Services (TIDS) team.

He emphasised that their collective effort was instrumental in realising the vision of making KZN a flourishing land of opportunity.

“Without our workers, the strides we are making to establish KZN as a construction site will not succeed.

"Our relentless efforts will ensure that our province remains on a socio-economic growth trajectory,” said Duma.

"He extended a message of hope to communities eagerly awaiting road and bridge developments, assuring them, “We will finally be in your area someday.

"If we had all the resources, there would be no gravel roads in any part of this province,” he said.

Winning the gold accolade, a first for the province, against contenders like the Western Cape, was described by Duma as a historic milestone.

He affirmed that the award served as enduring recognition of the hard work and dedication of the department in serving the people of KZN.

“Last week, we announced rehabilitation projects in the pipeline amounting to R14.6 billion, with expected outputs of 5.2 million square metres over the coming Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period,” he reported.

“We are also working on resealing projects valued at R666 million, which will also significantly extend the lifespan of our road networks.”

The MEC highlighted ongoing upgrades from gravel roads to surfaced roads across various regions, collaborating with local leadership in the quest to improve infrastructure.

Notably, he mentioned the initiative on the Welisizwe Bridges, which aims to enhance connectivity in rural communities.