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From 1910 – 1928 the South African Railways was managed by a General Manager of Railways at Johannesburg, who had under his jurisdiction four Assistant General Managers stationed at Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Bloemfontein. These officials were, in turn, assisted by five divisional superintendents who operated from strategic points throughout the country.

As a response to the increasing necessity for decentralisation of railway functions, the management structure was expanded in 1928. Top management consisted of a General Manager as well as an Assistant General Manager (Commercial) and an Assistant General Manager (Technical). In addition the post of System Manager was created on 1 April 1928. Nine System Managers, stationed at Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Kimberley, Durban, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Windhoek, replaced the four Assistant General Managers who had functioned prior to 1928.

The office of the Prime Minister was created by the Responsible Government Act of 1872 and Sir John Charles Molteno became the first Prime Minister of the Cape (1872 – 1878). Initially the Prime Minister’s department fell under the Ministerial Division of the Colonial Secretary. However, in 1889 a separate ministry was established. In 1891, this office was again placed under the Colonial Secretary but separated later in 1894.

The function of the Prime Minister’s office was to act as a medium of communication between the Governor and the Government. It dealt with despatches between the Colonial and Imperial governments and with correspondence between other British Colonies and dependencies. Communications between the two legislative branches and the government passed through the Prime Minister’s Office, from which emanated all instructions affecting the public service as a whole. In December 1908 the Ministerial Division of the Prime Minister was abolished and the office once again came under the administration of the Colonial Secretary until 1910.

Prime Ministers, 1872 – 1910:
Sir John Charles Molteno, 1 December 1872 – 5 February 1878
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, 6 February 1878 – 8 May 1881
Thomas Charles Scanlen, 9 May 1881 – 12 May 1884
Sir Thomas Upington, 13 May 1884 – 24 November 1886
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, 25 November 1886 – 16 July 1890
Cecil John Rhodes, 17 July 1890 – 12 January 1896
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, 13 January 1896 – 13 October 1898
William Philip Schreiner, 13 October 1898 – 17 June 1900
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, 18 June 1900 – 21 February 1904
Sir Leander Starr Jameson, 22 February 1904 – 2 February 1908
John Xavier Merriman, 3 February 1908 – 31 May 1910

In 1902 the Medical Officer of Health, attached to the Local Government and Public Health Branch of the Cape Colonial Office, was charged with administering the Immigration Act, 1902 and subsequently the Chinese Exclusion Act, 1904.

These relevant duties together with that of aided immigration were transferred to a Chief Immigration Officer as from February 1905 when the Immigration and Labour Branch of the Colonial Office was established.

After the formation of the Union of South Africa and as from June 1910 immigration affairs devolved upon the Department of Interior, the responsible officer being the Principal Immigration Officer.

The Provincial Auditor, an official on the establishment of the Office of the Auditor-General, was the head of the Audit Branch, the aim of which could be defined as follows: “To satisfy the legislature that order is maintained in the financial transactions of the Provincial Administration and Local Authorities.”

The Provincial Auditor was responsible for the auditing of the accounts from:
1) all departments and sections of the Cape Province;
2) institutions or bodies, including the ±260 local authorities, the auditing of whose accounts was assigned to him by ordinance;
3) other institutions or bodies of which he was appointed auditor by the Administrator in accordance with the provisions of an ordinance.

In the execution of these duties he must check, scrutinise and audit all records and accounts of the Cape Province, local authorities and other institutions and bodies, as well as those of all persons entrusted with the receipt, safekeeping, payment or issuing of money, stamps, securities, equipment or stores.

Furthermore he must satisfy himself that:
1) all reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the proper collection of moneys, and that the relevant legal stipulations are observed;
2) all issues and payments are made in accordance with proper authorisation and are supported by adequate receipts or documentation;
3) all moneys are expended effectively and economically;
4) effective control measures are applied to protect the assets of the Province or institution concerned;
5) all allocations are utilised for the purpose for which they were granted, and that allocations are not exceeded.

In addition to his normal duties, the Provincial Auditor was required to:
1) provide guidance and advice with regard to legislation with financial implications, and to assist with the formulation of the relevant clauses;
2) serve in committees when policy and executive measures were determined;
3) assist smaller municipalities in updating and finalising their accounts, and to provide training during the auditing sessions;
4) attend all congresses of municipalities and divisional councils, and of the Institute of Municipal Accountants, and to put the case of the audit section when required to do so;
5) attend the regional meetings of town clerks and treasurers, which were held regularly;
6) attend the annual Administrators’ Conference in an advisory capacity.

Provincial Auditors since 1910:
GFW Batho, 1910 – 1928
WH Green, 1929 – 1931
O Chapman, 1932
TW Koller, 1933 – 1940
FJ Price, 1941 – 1943
DS Ross, 1944 – 1945
EC Mason, 1946 – 1948
HJA Bartie, 1949 – 1952
JC Tromp, 1953 – 1957
J Bramley, 1958 – 1960
A Davel, 1961 – 1965
WL Bier, 1966 – 1971
JP Hugo, 1971 – 1985