'No magic wand will change the situation'

25 Feb 2000 - by Staff reporter

There's a new head of affairs at Spoornet. Here is how Zandile Jakavula
plans to tackle the company's many problems, as told to Leonard Neill.

THERE IS no quick fix method available to solve Spoornet's financial problems. But if all concerned focus on the problems and work in harmony, a new and financially sound operation can emerge, says Zandile Jakavula, who took up the reins as Spoornet's chief executive officer this month.
There is no magic wand that can be waved to change the situation, he says. It's simply a matter of identifying Spoornet's problems, finding out what is not making it tick, and tackling it all head on.
Jakavula is the man who turned Metrorail from its disaster situation into a profitable entity in a short space of time. But the larger and more complex Spoornet situation is a far bigger hurdle.
I feel there are five areas which have to be tackled. Performance levels, customer satisfaction, expenditure management, safety and transformation are where we must set our targets. Get them right and we will win.
He sees the need to raise levels of performance as a key issue. If Spoornet is to get the work available, he says, the parastatal has to achieve, and that goes hand in hand with customer satisfaction.
Achieve that and it means business. We must jump at any opportunity to make it happen. We must focus on those people out there who give us money but are unhappy with what they are getting in return.
Jakavula has an intimate knowledge of dealing with the workplace in this instance, with 26 years' experience in human relations in AE&CI as a background which has stood him well in dealings with trade unions and the general work force.
I found at Metrorail that the workers had strong grievances when I took over. I couldn't turn a blind eye to what they put forward. They had some solid ground for dissatisfaction. Dealing with these head on proved the answer. It worked. I'm hoping to achieve the same success at Spoornet.
Even in the expenditure management sector he will bring this experience into play. He points to the manner in which finances have been used in the past and says this will change.
It has changed already. A budget does not mean that is the amount of money we can spend. It means we must develop within its confines. I have placed a moratorium on trips and filling vacancies that occur. In both instances these will be approved where it is essential.
There will be no trips, especially abroad, or the filling of vacancies unless I feel it is necessary and will meet the end target of producing financial results. The same rules apply to the use of credit cards. These expenses will be closely observed in the future. They will only be permitted in cases of necessity.
Safety is an aspect which is calling for instant attention, with recent derailments and collisions as well as workplace accidents already in report form on his desk.
How can we guarantee goods will arrive in time and in good order if we allow this type of thing to continue? he asks.
We have to assure customers that they are getting the service they want, and we have to do this if we are going to come up with a new image. We must have the right people operating each portfolio, working in unison and have all staff properly trained.