The next time you’re in and out of the licensing department in just 10 minutes, spare Liana Moolman a thought. As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), it’s her grit and determination that have made improvements like this possible.
Liana was only 28 years old when she took on her current role. It’s a young age for so much responsibility, she acknowledges, but she’s also grateful she was given such an opportunity during what she calls her ‘developing years’. She maintains that this allowed her to foster an emotional maturity that is typically lacking until one gains on the ground experience. That’s a key asset when working in public sector. ‘You cannot take on a job like this unless you have a very strong moral compass and can accept that there will be many people relying on you,’ she states. ‘You need to be able to stand up for what you believe in and keep fighting.’
The road to change
Liana’s entry into the public sector was far from planned. She chose to study accounting because she knew she ‘wanted to do something with numbers’, but when she realised that full-time auditing was not for her, she took on a job with a consulting company that worked primarily with the public sector. A call from her boss one Saturday night changed her life: she was told that she had two days to prepare for a training session she was to host in Vereeniging, covering all aspects of the supply chain from treasury regulations to preferential procurement. This led to preparing many sets of financials, providing training and drafting guidelines – and this, in turn, led to a technical review of the RTMC’s financials. Once the assignment was complete, Liana was headhunted by the organisation.
Five months into the position, a board was appointed, giving the RTMC formal structure for the first time since Liana had taken up her post. Three months later, and with a permanent CEO now in place, she was named Acting CFO. She became permanent CFO after the position was advertised a year later.
Fast forward nine years, and the RTMC’s staff complement has grown from 300 to 1 200, excluding trainees. The organisation has also changed how it operates, thanks in no small part to Liana’s interventions. ‘One of the first changes I made was to make sure that systems were put in place for the smoother compilation of the financials,’ she says.
She also started working on a number of initiatives, many of which have only recently been launched. There’s the eNaTIS online platform for renewing vehicle licences, for example – one of several platforms offering this service, Liana admits, but the only one where the vehicle is licensed from the second your credit card payment goes through and for the sole cost of the licence delivery fee. It’s even possible to do bulk renewals for businesses that need to license 20 plus vehicles at a time.
The transfer of vehicle ownership and registration is also migrating online, with RTMC joining forces with financing institutions as well as vehicle sellers like We Buy Cars and BMW Finance to digitalise this process. This is a major step in the fight against fraud, Liana points out, while also making the process far more convenient for vehicle owners, sellers and financiers, as the ever-growing paper trails are now moved to an online platform.
Meanwhile, those who can’t avoid a visit to a department to renew their driver’s licence are in for a pleasant surprise. ‘You shouldn’t have to take the day off work to do this,’ Liana insists. The Smart Enrolment Units developed by the RTMC, which are being rolled out have created a new era of efficiency: instead of being shunted from one queue to another in order to, say, have an eye test and then fill in forms, users are able to access a ‘one stop shop’ of services. This has been made possible by developing interfaces with the Department of Home Affairs – so drivers can now provide a fingerprint and have their identity confirmed in seconds by a photo sent by Home Affairs. Again, this is part of RTMC’s drive to prevent fraud. What’s more, you don’t have to supply your own photo, either; this, too, is done on site now, while temporary licences are printed while you wait. ‘If you are at the centre for more than 10 minutes, we have failed you,’ Liana says.
You can also expect to see a difference in traffic officers. Previously, the training for this position was a 12-month course which resulted in an NQF Level 4 qualification, equivalent to matric. Liana informs that an updated curriculum has been developed and introduced by the RTMC. This three-year qualification, including two years of theory and one year of practical learning, culminates in an NQF Level 6 qualification. By May, around 650 officers had completed this training, with another cohort ready to take their place at the RTMC’s recently revamped college. This facility is, in itself, unique, because RTMC has taken all services in-house as far as possible, partnering with other organisations in areas where it lacks expertise rather than appointing service providers. The catering department is a case in point: the trainee officers’ meals are catered by interns and graduates at TUT with the assistance of teaching staff. This creates employment opportunities, while industry newcomers benefit from gaining workplace skills development.
A considered legacy
Anyone would be proud to claim such developments as personal career highlights – but not Liana. She is far prouder of the 10 unqualified audits the organisation has achieved under her guidance. She’s also gratified by the growth of her team. ‘I have invested a lot of time in ensuring we are all on the same page. My team know they can ask me anything at any time – in fact, they have to, because every second in government counts.’
She maintains that her legacy will not be the changes that she has brought to a system that once caused frustration but her refusal to compromise her integrity – or to give up on what she believes in. ‘There are so many layers in government that it takes a very long time for change to happen. You have to stick with it – and just when you think you have nothing more to give, you’ll surprise yourself by getting up the next day ready to carry on.’ She attributes her fighting spirit to her parents and her upbringing – but also to her belief that a job should never change you. ‘Wherever you are in life, you have to remain humble, honour your integrity, and think of how you would like to be remembered by the people who love you.’
Considering a career in the public sector?
Banish any ideas that a public sector job is all about extended lunch breaks and leaving the office early. Liana says that government employees should expect to be busy around the clock if they want to see change – there’s a lot to do, and a lot of factors that will make it difficult to get everything done.
‘You need to have emotional intelligence, but at the same time, you can’t be too emotional. You need to be objective and able to let certain things roll off you like water off a duck’s back. It’s a tough environment – but it helps to remember that we are working to make things easier for our country’s people.’
Author Lisa Witepski | Photographer Theana Breugem
