Mpumalanga, 4 June 2021 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) recently shared information about upcoming subcontracting opportunities on the Moloto Road project to Tweefontein small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) that are based in Thembisile Hani Local Municipality.

Information sessions with local SMMEs form part of SANRAL’s continuous efforts to communicate with the affected communities that are within the project’s target area about the sub-contracting opportunities  and the requirements needed when bidding for tenders.

“The Moloto Road upgrade, along Section 2 of the R573  will have an immediate impact and benefit on  local SMMEs community. Local businesses will be given the opportunity to participate in the tender process for sub-contracting work, enabling them to provide income for themselves and families,” says Nontobeko Mathenjwa, SANRAL’s project manager responsible for the Mpumalanga Province section of Moloto Road.

The project’s total value is just over R430m, with a minimum of R129m (which is the 30% of the contract value) to be channelled towards SMME development. In addition, a further R34m (which is 8% of the contract value) will be used towards targeted labour. “We will also guide the main contractor on the project to allocate the R34m across various targeted labour groups such as women, the young and people with disabilities,” says Mathenjwa.

King Civil Engineering Contractors was appointed in the first quarter of the year as the main contractor; the project is expected to take 36 months to be completed and a total of 145 job opportunities are expected to be created.

As part of further efforts to assist local communities around this project,  SANRAL will also establish  a help desk to  support to  community members who wish to submit their documentation and business profiles for  tendering Tender training sessions will also be provided to local SMMEs to ensure that they are well equipped and have a clear understanding of what to expect at the tender brief.

This is not the first time that SANRAL convenes an information session of this nature with Tweefontein  and neighbouring areas. SANRAL recently engaged with Tweefontein and Kwaggafontein A and B in April 2021. The purpose of this engagement was to discuss the land acquisition process where a community resolution was reached with affected communities. This community resolution session was convened in partnership with the provincial and local government.

At those sessions, key learnings that were discussed include formation of joint ventures (JVs) with other local SMMEs, collating required documentation and filling it properly when tendering, and the importance of other legal requirements such as tax clearance certificates and BBBEE compliance.

Working together with local municipalities, SANRAL has also assisted in establishing Project Steering Committees that will ensure that SMMEs will be involved in its projects, from upgrades to the general maintenance of the road. One of the key responsibilities of the Project Steering Committee is to create a database of local community members and ensure that they are employed on SANRAL projects. The Steering Committee also guides SANRAL on the appointment of Community Liaison Officers (CLO).

A key outcome of this initiative has been the establishment of Project Liaison Committees (PLC). PLCs continue to ensure oversight in the subcontracting and labour recruitment process of SANRAL projects. “By enabling the PLC to have this oversight, it helps the community to take ownership of their local projects, ensure absorption of the local labour force and also ensure transparency,” says Melba Geca, SANRAL’s Stakeholder Coordinator responsible for Mpumalanga Province.

SANRAL encourages local communities to take advantage of opportunities that it offers on the Moloto project.

//ends

Issued by FTI Consulting on behalf of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL)

For editorial content or additional information please contact: pressoffice@nra.co.za