Most of the blasting is done to improve the horizontal and vertical alignment along a cutting.
There is not a lot of blasting on South Africa’s national roads. But, when there is, it is good to know that it is always handled by experts.
But why blast?
In technical terms, most of the blasting is done to improve the horizontal and vertical alignment along a cutting.
More simply, it is necessary when widening a road, smoothing out curves and improving sight distance, all of which are major contributors to better road safety.
SANRAL does not undertake blasting.
Rather, the job is handled by a contractor who has a proper blasting licence and uses specialist blasting sub-contractors with safety personnel in attendance.
Blasting is carefully circumscribed: It is the controlled use of explosives to break rock for excavation and to reduce the rock to a size suitable for use in road construction.
Before any blasting can commence, the area is cordoned off and all people, livestock and vehicles are moved to a point of safety.
Barricades are erected and are manned to prevent any movement back into the area. It is then declared safe.
The police are present to assist, the area is again checked, and sirens are sounded.
After the blast, qualified personnel go back into the area to make sure all is safe.
Debris is cleared, barricades and signage removed and only then is the road reopened for all.
Strict rules for blasting
Where and when it is necessary to do blasting to upgrade a road, strict rules apply.
People living in the area where blasting will take place, as well as motorists, are warned well in advance.
Nobody is allowed within 500m of the blast and safety personnel ensure that no individuals or vehicles enter the blasting area.
The most recent blasting took place on the R72 Section 3 (KM 49.24) to Section 4 (KM 16.0) between Birah River and Openshaw Village on Tuesday, 15 October from 3pm – 5pm.
Taking SANRAL to the People is about transforming the construction industry and alerting people of opportunities.
Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region Manager addressed stakeholders at the Taking SANRAL to the People engagement held at the Town Hall in Matatiele.
Talking to the people about projects in their towns, cities and villages is integral to the SANRAL approach.
Known as ‘Taking SANRAL to the People’, the agency relishes the time spent engaging with communities across South Africa, from Rustenburg to Worcester.
These are opportunities to discuss matters of concern raised by the local municipality, business and the community in general.
At every occasion the same approach is stressed: Development is good for the local economy, it will create local jobs, it will boost local SMMEs and people will be trained.
Ultimately, it is about transforming the construction industry. SANRAL’s board chairman, Themba Mhambi, said: “The days of there being only a few construction companies capable of taking on large projects is coming to an end. Instead of hearing about the big five construction companies, we would like to hear about the big 50.”
Earlier this year there were three examples where big projects were discussed during these local forums:
Rustenburg: The primary economic artery in the North West, the N4, is being upgraded while the pavement repair and resurfacing of the R505 (from Wolmaransstad to the N14) is nearing completion. Another massive project which is still in its design stage, is the improvement of the R52 from Rustenburg to Koster.
Elias Motsoaledi: There are two notable upgrade projects underway in the Mpumalanga municipality, which includes Groblersdal. Firstly, the R573 Moloto Project, which starts next year, and then the R574 to Morwaneng, which kicks off in 2021. The R573 is particularly important because of its economic importance as the connector between Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The route carries 50 000 cars, taxis, trucks and busses every day, so safety is critical.
Worcester: The Huguenot Tunnel on the N1 is in urgent need of an upgrade, which means the tunnel must be closed to allow the work to be done safely. To cause as little disruption as possible, the tunnel will be closed nightly from 10pm until 6am in the morning on Mondays to Thursdays. This project has started already.
Through their close links to communities who live in proximity to the road network, the concessionaires are increasingly involved in campaigns that promote safer road behaviour.
Through their close links to communities who live in proximity to the road network, the concessionaires are increasingly involved in campaigns that promote safer road behaviour, especially among vulnerable groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and long-distance truckers.
The private sector companies that manage important stretches of South Africa’s freeway network are vital partners in SANRAL’s broader efforts to promote road safety through safer infrastructure, education and awareness campaigns.
All three concessionaires responsible for the management of some toll roads play leading roles in road safety campaigns, community-based initiatives and the coordination of responses among law enforcement, emergency services and maintenance teams.
Through their close links to communities who live in proximity to the road network, the concessionaires are increasingly involved in campaigns that promote safer road behaviour, especially among vulnerable groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and long-distance truckers.
24/7 N3TC customer care
The N3 Toll Road through KwaZulu-Natal is the primary road freight corridor linking the port city of Durban with the metropolitan hubs of Gauteng.
Moreover, this route also carries high volumes of commuter traffic, especially at weekends and during holiday periods.
The N3 Toll Concession prioritises road safety through its dedicated focus on partnerships and thanks to initiatives with the road freight and haulage sectors.
A dedicated patrol service covers the route 24/7 and a customer-care line is operational to respond to emergency calls and coordinate activities between N3TC, municipal law enforcement and emergency medical and rescue services.
Contact the 24-hour N3TC Customer Careline on 0800 63 4357 (0800 N3 HELP) or follow N3TC on Twitter @N3Route.
In recent years, the company has made significant investments in upgrading road infrastructure, including improved road signage and markings and the rapid deployment of teams to clean up crash scenes and repair damaged road surfaces.
Furthermore, a comprehensive database of hotspots and hazardous locations helps to ensure more effective road management and law enforcement.
For the past decade, N3TC has provided post-crash support to victims of vehicle collisions through its Duduza initiative.
With the help of community members and businesses along the route, the concessionaire helps in transporting victims to hospital, arranging for the tow and storage of vehicles, and contacting family members.
TRAC: A coordinated operation
The safety and wellbeing of road users is a primary concern for Trans African Concessions, which operates the N4 Toll Route that links Gauteng, through Mpumalanga, to the Mozambican border and on to Maputo.
TRACAssist conducts around-the-clock route patrols and provides roadside and emergency services free of charge to road users.
This is linked to a dedicated helpdesk, which also coordinates the activities of first responders, medical services and traffic officials.
TRAC maintains close ties to local law enforcement units and regularly sponsors the purchase of emergency gear, high-visibility clothing and lighting equipment, which are vital for effective policing, especially in rural areas.
A pedestrian safety campaign is in place at several primary schools and children are taught the basic rules of the road through social media platforms and creative material that can be used in the classroom.
Over the past year, TRAC made significant investments in upgrading road infrastructure to improve the safety and comfort of all road users.
Cables were installed along the median of the road to prevent illegal U-turns at interchanges, and paved emergency crossings were constructed at priority interchanges in Tshwane and Middelburg.
The Bakwena success story
Strong partnerships between the Bakwena toll concessionary and local communities in the North West contribute to the creative integration of road safety awareness campaigns with broader community development programmes.
The positive results of this approach are becoming apparent. During the 2018/19 holiday period, there was a reduction in the number of serious crashes – and resulting fatalities – on the N1N4 toll route linking Gauteng through the North West Province to Botswana.
Road safety is a year-round priority for Bakwena, which is involved in several initiatives designed to educate children, pedestrians and motorists on road safety.
There are specific concerns about the presence of illegal cyclists on the busy freeways, especially at dawn and dusk.
The ‘Secure-A-Kid’ campaign is a partnership between Bakwena and a non-profit organisation that focuses on children in road safety.
A ‘Glow Kids Glow’ campaign involved the distribution of reflective beanies to learners who must walk to and from schools.
The company is also working closely with provincial and local authorities to increase the visibility of law enforcement along the road, which includes roadblocks where vehicles are checked for roadworthiness and overloading, and drivers are tested for alcohol abuse.
Due to the expected congestion and travel time delays along the section of the road, SANRAL recommends those road users, and in particular, Heavy Trucks and Buses consider making use of alternative routes.
SANRAL regrets the inconvenience caused during this period of road improvement and thanks all travelers in advance for their co-operation and patience.
The South African National Road Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) advises travelers and residents in and around the Ga-Sekgopo area, the surrounding farms and road users travelling along the Road R81 Section 1 between Polokwane and Giyani or passing to and from Modjadjiskloof towards Polokwane of the roadworks now underway for a period of 18 Months starting in August 2019 until February 2021, Km 61.2 and Km 71. 2.
Residents and Road users are advised that:
The above-mentioned completion date may change due to unforeseen circumstances.
Two-way traffic flow will be maintained throughout this construction duration between Km 61.2 and Km 66.2, and between Km 67.4 and Km 71. 2, hence motorists are urged to drive with caution along these sections of the road.
One-way traffic flow with 24 hour STOP/GO traffic control will however be encountered between Km 66.20 and Km 67.4 due to the improvements to an existing bridge and the half width construction of a new bridge across the Middle Letaba River respectively. A result of this, speed limits of up to 30km/hr will be implemented along this particular section of the road leading to travel time delays. within that section of the road both during the day and at night.
Travelers are advised to be patient and exercise extreme caution when travelling along this particular section of the road. This is a work zone area and there are workers present whose safety is of paramount importance.
Appropriate signage will be in place and all road users are advised and requested to take note of the signage displayed over this period.
Blasting works are also scheduled to take place along the mountain pass section of the road. During blasting, the road will be closed for a duration of time due to safety implications.
Due to the expected congestion and travel time delays along the section of the road, SANRAL recommends those road users, and in particular, Heavy Trucks and Buses consider making use of alternative routes.
SANRAL regrets the inconvenience caused during this period of road improvement and thanks all travelers in advance for their co-operation and patience.
These are the most asked questions about SANRAL in the Free State.
Roads bring economic growth, tourism, social development and create economic opportunities for all citizens. But they need to be maintained.
WHO IS SANRAL?
It was established in April 1998 by an Act of Parliament as an independent company to operate South Africa’s national road network.
It is a public company with share capital within the requirements of the South African Companies Act and is governed by a board of directors.
The Minister of Transport is the sole shareholder of SANRAL, representing the government.
SANRAL is a state-owned entity (SOE), category 3A, and is not allowed to make a profit. It is not a business enterprise. It is responsible for a national road network of 22214km.
This network is gradually expanding, as a growing number of provinces request the agency takes over the management of their primary roads.
SANRAL’s role is to be an implementing agency of the Department of Transport for road planning, construction and maintenance.
FOR WHICH ROADS IS SANRAL RESPONSIBLE?
The agency is the custodian of most of the national roads – the N roads – with minor exceptions, such as a stretch of the N14 in Gauteng and the N2 between Cape Town International Airport and the city centre.
There are also some provincial and municipal roads in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West that have been incorporated into the SANRAL network.
WHY DOES SANRAL TOLL ITS ROADS?
Of the entire network, only 2952km are tolled. Roads are the arteries of our nation – they connect major cities, towns and villages in rural areas.
Roads bring economic growth, tourism, social development and create economic opportunities for all citizens. But they need to be maintained.
This is extremely expensive, as is upgrading them to keep up with growth and manage congestion.
To fund this, SANRAL cannot rely solely on tax. In these instances, the user-pays principle is applied. This decision is never made lightly or rashly.
WHERE IS SANRAL’s EASTERN REGION?
It comprises KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State with a total road length of 2903km.
WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF SANRAL’S ROADS IN THE REGION?
The pavement is generally in a good to very good condition due to continuous maintenance. The breakdown is as follows: Fair – 20%, Good – 45%, Very Good – 35%.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE R30-MILLION SANRAL GRANT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE?
To ensure South African students can measure up to international standards in maths, SANRAL sponsors a Chair in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education at the university.
Through an endowment of R30-million, SANRAL wants to promote the development of human capital through high-quality education, training and research, and through partnerships with recognised international institutions in the field of pavement engineering and transportation planning.
At an academic level, the SANRAL Chair supervises a cohort of doctoral and Master’s students, while also guiding research and publications in mathematics, science and technology education.
In addition, this partnership strives to address underperformance in mathematics and science in South African schools.
The SANRAL Chair helps to train teachers, supports student-teacher interns, and incentivises education results so that the participating schools become centres of excellence.
I WOULD LIKE TO WORK FOR SANRAL. HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT?
Please contact the human resources department on 012-844-8000, or via email at info@nra.co.za
HOW CAN I CONTRACT FOR WORK WITH SANRAL?
Construction work is all given out on tender. SANRAL’s procurement philosophy is aimed at broad-based BEE.
This contributes to economic growth in our country and the southern African region as a whole.
All SANRAL’s supply chain management must be done in line with its Transformation Policy.
To read the entire Supply Chain Management Policy and Procedure Manual in PDF format and look out for contracts advertised on the SANRAL website: www.sanral.co.za
HOW DO I BRING ROAD CONDITIONS TO SANRAL’s ATTENTION?
The agency has special maintenance teams in place to respond to unplanned events, such as major crashes or floods, and can respond immediately.
In addition, there is a 72-hour turnaround time, from reporting to repair of a pothole on national roads.
Should you want to report a problem, simply visit www.nra.co.za for contact details of regional offices and concessionaires.
The project has created employment for 318 local workers to date.
The expected completion is at the end of September 2020.
Work is on track on the upgrading of a 34-kilometre section of the much-used N6 between Rouxville and Smithfield in the Free State.
The contract was awarded by SANRAL to construction firm WBHO and work began in June 2017.
The expected completion is at the end of September 2020.
Upgrades
The upgrade entails mostly realignment of the existing road.
“While the horizontal alignment is mainly on the original footprint, there is a substantial amount of vertical realignment being conducted,” said WBHO contract manager, Russell Deenik.
This – achieved by several cuttings –smooths out the undulations on the original road, and required drilling and blasting.
“Rock conditions vary from cutting to cutting, necessitating careful blasting techniques to obtain optimal fragmentation while conserving explosives and preventing fly-rock,” Deenik said.
The result of the vertical realignment will be fewer blind rises on the route and a longer field of vision for motorists, generally improving the safety of the road.
It will also reduce the number of climbing lanes necessary to accommodate overtaking of slower traffic.
In another important safety improvement, the road is being widened to 12,4–metres, including a generous shoulder on each side.
Most of the road is being constructed in half-widths, where the traffic is moved onto a widened shoulder on the one side of the road while work continues on the other.
Stop-go arrangements have been installed for traffic for single-lane sections of about four kilometres at a time.
The main bridge on the route is over the Caledon River, and this was widened on the left and right to accommodate the new road width.
To do this, piling was driven into the riverbed for new sub-structure footings, and both the piers and the abutments were extended on each side using precast beams to carry the extended bridge decks.
Rebuilding with challenges
Closer to the Rouxville side, the smaller bridge over the Eldorado River was demolished and rebuilt to larger dimensions.
A significant challenge on the project has been the prevalence of mud-stone material at road-bed level at various points of the route.
As the material is not fit for road building, an extra 300–450mm was removed in places below roadbed level and replaced with a pioneer rock layer.
Six burrow pits –including the main quarry –are spread evenly along the route and provide all the required material.
To facilitate recycling, the existing road’s base and surfacing was reclaimed and stockpiled, to contribute 20% of the new sub-base layer after it has been mixed with new material.
In terms of targeted labour, the labour force was sourced locally from the Xhariep District Municipality.
The project has created employment for 318 local workers to date.
There is a similar focus on creating opportunities for local enterprises, which make up 24 of the 31 sub-contractors on site.
SANRAL Project Manager Jason Louw said the upgrade was on schedule.
“The contractor is progressing well and is on track with the programme.”
Scheduled stakeholder engagements are yielding positive results for SANRAL in the Free State.
SANRAL’s Eastern Region was instrumental in the resuscitation of the provincial Transport Forum, a body sanctioned by the National Department of Transport.
The Free State Province is literally in the middle of South Africa, with boundaries with seven provinces, and it has the highest number of (N) national roads leading into and out of it.
Therefore, it is important that the agency serves on the provincial Transport Forum, a body sanctioned by the National Department of Transport.
SANRAL’s Eastern Region was instrumental in the resuscitation of this forum and serves on three of its subcommittees.
Monageng Mokgojwa, SANRAL Eastern Region stakeholder engagement coordinator, said: “To date, we have hosted a hugely successful career expo and ‘Taking SANRAL to the People’ event. We were able to host these events as a result of a sustained Stakeholder Management Action Plan we have put in place.
“This plan revolves around availability, high exposure and accessibility. A calendar for engagements with the Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport has been devised.”
Mokgojwa said these interactions also put SANRAL in touch with other stakeholders in the province, notably the Construction Industry Development Board, which has been a helpful partner, particularly with holding joint meetings so that they can educate stakeholders on their areas of operation and regulations/policies they oversee in the construction sector.
“Our initial strategy of planned scheduled stakeholder engagements is yielding positive results as we are now on par with most stakeholders in the Free State province.
“We enjoy mutual respect with the Free State Provincial Government and the Free State Department of Transport. We are a model state-owned company that respects and listens.
“More is still to come from the centre of the country,” said Mokgojwa.
SANRAL has been involved in contributing to educational and social aspects of communities and encourages its contractors to do likewise.
During upgrading of the N1 road between Winburg Interchange and Winburg Station in the Free State, the contractor WBHO Roads & Earthworks (Pty) Ltd, was involved in several community projects.
Developing and uplifting communities is part of the SANRAL ethos.
The roads agency does not just develop physical infrastructure in the form of roads and bridges – it also ensures that the communities along the country’s roads develop socially and economically as well.
Since its establishment two decades ago, SANRAL has ensured that a significant portion of its work benefits the local labour force, including SMMEs, situated close to the national road network.
SANRAL has also been involved in contributing to educational and social aspects of communities and encourages its contractors to do likewise.
Community development
During upgrading of the N1 road between Winburg Interchange and Winburg Station in the Free State, the contractor WBHO Roads & Earthworks (Pty) Ltd, was involved in several community projects.
“A big lesson we learned on the project was that giving back to the community does not always have to be big things – even the small things can put a smile on faces,” said Sarel van der Walt of WBHO.
“We got to know ‘Sweet Revenge’ in Winburg, which is the name of a netball team that did not have any netball gear and played with an old deflated ball.
“We sponsored a netball kit and a new ball. Seeing how happy they were even with such a small act of kindness changed our day more than it changed theirs.”
Another community project that WBHO sponsored was a group of women calling themselves “Ke le mong” who trained women in sewing.
WBHO allowed the women to use their training venue for five months and donated two sewing machines to the group. The women are now making uniforms for a school in Winburg.
When children in the area struggled to get to school during the rainy season as they had to cross an area that was prone to flooding, WBHO built a walkway through the area with culverts.
Legacy
Another WBHO project was a community water pipeline that pumped water from a borehole west of the N1 to the community on the eastern side.
“The aim of the pipeline was to avoid people crossing the N1 to get water and putting themselves at danger with the moving traffic.
“Strong winds damaged the windmill and we had to replace it, but before replacing it, we got the children of the community to make imprints of their hands on the windmill blades with paint. We hope that it will remain there as a reminder of the unity we had on the project, and what we can achieve when working together,” Van der Walt said.
SANRAL CEO believes Outa as a special interest group with a thinly disguised party-political agenda has led an illegal civil disobedience campaign against e-tolls for almost a decade.
SANRAL CEO, Skhumbuzo Macozoma, said a lack of investment in road infrastructure at this juncture will inevitably lead to crippling congestion, less productivity, increased commuter frustration and more accidents down the road.
When an organisation funded by donations from the public embarks on a willful and deliberate campaign to encourage people to break the law there is every reason to call them to account.
Outa as a special interest group with a thinly disguised party-political agenda has led an illegal civil disobedience campaign against e-tolls for almost a decade. They don’t disguise this fact. On the contrary they use this as a marketing tool at every turn to wring money from their support base.
The consequences for the country and the economy is quite clear. They create an atmosphere of lawlessness. If this continues unchecked it will eventually spread to boycotts against other services, further non-payments for electricity and water and a broader tax revolt.
It is for this reason that I have warned that government must hold Outa to account. It is not a benign civil society organisation which only lobbies for the best interests of their members.
It is a small, albeit vociferous, special interest group which advocates disregard of the law and thwarts future investment in road infrastructure. Despite boasting few successes, they manage an inordinate amount of media coverage.
The consequences of their campaigns are already visible in the fact that we cannot proceed with the construction of phases 2 and 3 of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
It will, without a doubt, have a long-term impact on the economy of a province where close on 90% of all goods are transported by road.
A lack of investment in road infrastructure at this juncture will inevitably lead to crippling congestion, less productivity, increased commuter frustration and more accidents down the road.
Wayne Duvenage’s recent piece in the Daily Maverick is proof enough that he is not concerned about any of these issues.
Let me put aside, the condescending nature of his writing, or the patronising references to me as “Mr Skhumbuzo”, and focus on the holes in his arguments.
He may be a past expert on rental cars, but he knows next to nothing about the costs of road construction, about tendering processes and about the financial aspects of toll road management.
About three years ago Outa released a so-called “position paper” on the construction costs of GFIP. It was riddled with errors. It confused billions with millions. It disregarded decimal commas. It made calculation errors of a magnitude of almost 100 000%. It compared the construction costs of rural roads in Botswana with that of a modern freeway in Gauteng.
In short…it was an embarrassing mess. At the time we submitted a list of more than 400 questions and requests for clarifications to Outa. They are yet to respond… but they have admitted to “typing errors.”
Some of this content has now resurfaced in a new Outa report designed to sway the views of the working group appointed by the President to consider the future of e-tolling. And we must assume that Duvenage is still relying on his discredited arithmetic.
But it is on the issue of law that Outa and Duvenage are at their most misleading. They keep referring to future court cases that may, or may not, become reality. But they steadfastly refuse to admit that they have not won a single lasting judgment on the legality of e-tolls when it came before the courts in the past.
I know this truth is inconvenient to Outa and Duvenage, so let me remind them:
August 2012 – the Constitutional Court sets aside an interim interdict issued by the Pretoria High Court and finds the following: “… tolls are a revenue collection mechanism to fund the road upgrades, The National Executive Government has adopted the funding policy that revenue should be garnered from motorists who use the upgraded roads…”
Score: Truth and justice 11 – Outa 0
December 2012 – Judge A. J Vorster rejects an application in the Pretoria High Court to review the decision to introduce toll roads on the basis of insufficient public consultation. He finds: “The publications in the Government Gazette and newspapers circulating in the areas in question were clearly adequate to inform interested persons of the proposed toll declaration.”Outa’s case was dismissed with costs.
Score: Truth and justice 12 – Outa 0
September 2013 – a full bench of the Supreme Court of Appeal refused an appeal against the Vorster judgment and reaches the following conclusions: “By all accounts these upgraded roads are truly magnificent. The advantages are enjoyed primarily by the motorists of Gauteng, but they also benefit the economy of the country as a whole… The clock cannot be turned back to when the toll roads were declared, and it would be contrary to the interests of justice to attempt to do so.”
Score: Truth and justice 17 – Outa 0
December 2013 – Justice J Jansen in the Pretoria High Court rejects – with costs – an urgent application by the TolhekAksiegroep, a fraternal organisation of Outa, to prevent the launch of e-tolls.
Score: Truth and Justice 18 – Outa & friends 0
March 2014 – the Western Cape Division confirms the lawfulness of the SANRAL Amendment Act and the right to declare national roads as toll roads. The Democratic Alliance is refused leave to appeal against the judgment.
Score: Truth and Justice 19 – Outa and alliances 0
If Outa were a sports team Coach Duvenage and his entire support staff would have been fired in disgrace five years ago. Yet, it continues tilting at legal windmills … and doing it with money solicited from an unsuspecting public.
And this is where the red lights should start to flicker brightly. At the end of August, the Department of Social Welfare reported that a staggering 56 000 non-profit organisations (NPO) have failed to submit their annual reports and verifying documentation. This, according to the Department, is a criminal offence in terms of the NPO Act.
It should come as no surprise that Outa is chief among the offenders. In a letter to the Department, Outa states that it will not make the required submissions and intends to deregister as an NPO.
And the reason given for its wilful non-compliance with the law is that Outa realises “… that financial and narrative reports submitted to the director for non-profit organisations are accessible to the public”
In short this means that Outa does not want the public – even its own members who donate so generously towards futile legal battles – to scrutinise their affairs and examine their books.
A so-called watchdog organisation that wants to expose corruption runs for cover and hide their own books.
By its own admission it has already fleeced more than R130-million from donors over the seven years since its inception. Where that money goes is anybody’s guess but the answers are not provided in the rather amateurish graphic on Outa’s annual report or the nine-line table on its website.
And once it deregisters as an NPO its financial affairs will become even more opaque and its donors will have even fewer opportunities to scrutinise the quality of its administration and corporate governance.
Thus, it should be quite clear. SANRAL as an organisation with decades of experience in road management and with 15 successive unqualified audits to its name will not take engineering or financial advice from an organisation that encourages the breaking of the law and hide its own affairs from public scrutiny.
My original response was in relation to Outa’s reaction to the award of a R7-billion loan to SANRAL by the New Development Bank.
This is a positive story: the funds are much needed to unlock stalled toll projects other than the e-toll scheme, but as a result of the e-toll scheme challenges. SANRAL is seeking approval from both the Department of Transport and National Treasury to finalise this deal – accountability to the public is guaranteed in this transaction.
Unlike Mr Duvenage, the GFIP e-toll scheme is not a crusade for me, this is a matter for SANRAL, a matter for Government and a matter for the sustainability of South Africa’s economic hub which is in the interest of all South Africans.
If left unresolved or blindly scrapped without carefully considering the consequences, it is this country and its citizens, especially of Gauteng that will suffer the consequences.
SANRAL is happy this matter is now being led at the right political level by the Minister of Transport together with the Minister of Finance and the Premier of Gauteng.
We expect that Government will now demonstrate unity on this matter, even in the face of attacks from the likes of Outa. We continue to support our political principals and look forward to their pronouncement on this very important matter.
SkhumbuzoMacozoma is the CEO of the South African National Roads Agency Limited.
Quality of national roads vital for country’s future growth.
SANRAL received a record 15th consecutive unqualified audit report and it is on track to achieve a clean audit opinion by 2020/21.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is a great example of what can be achieved in the transformation of state-owned entities and a creation of a capable state.
The country’s focus will increasingly be on massive investment in infrastructure and the national road network will be the catalyst for growth and socio-economic transformation, said the Chairman of the Board, Themba Mhambi.
The 2018/19 Integrated Report of SANRAL highlights the achievements and challenges of the agency in a financial year “in which funding constraints for road construction worsened.”
Achievements and challenges
SANRAL received a record 15th consecutive unqualified audit report and it is on track to achieve a clean audit opinion by 2020/21, said Mhambi.
Irregular expenditure was higher due to two contracts amounting to R282-million.
The first was for additional expenditure of R103-million on a construction contract that required the pre-approval of National Treasury, which was only given 7 months after the application was submitted.
The second was for a property, acquired with the approval of the Assets and Liabilities Committee, a sub-committee of the Board, and subsequently confirmed by the Board, for R179-million.
Even though SANRAL had the first right of refusal to buy the property, the AGSA ruled that this was a deviation from normal procurement processes and should have been approved, rather than merely confirmed by the full Board.
The decision by National Treasury to reallocate R5.75-billion from the non-toll portfolio to the toll portfolio resulted in a 27% reduction in expenditure in the construction of road infrastructure.
After some delay in incorporating the new regulations for the 30% subcontracting and SANRAL Transformation policy, SANRAL has started with the advertising of tenders from April 2019.
Mhambi said the resolution of the e-toll impasse “is absolutely critical and crucial for the future of our roads and the country’s economy”.
He welcomed the current initiative announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa and said it recognises the centrality of adequately funded roads for sustainable growth.
The Chief Executive Officer, SkhumbuzoMacozoma, said the prevailing economic climate is compelling SANRAL to utilise existing resources during a lean period.
“Our decisions during this time would determine how well we would be positioned to take advantage of opportunities when the financial situation recovers.”
The priority was to keep the programme of construction on toll and non-toll roads moving forwards with little delays and to protect road assets through essential road maintenance work.
Spending on routine road maintenance remained consistent over the past three financial years and are critical to prevent premature deterioration of the country’s 22 214km primary road network managed by SANRAL.
The agency’s objective is “to achieve a balance between contributing to rural development and greasing the wheels of the urban economy,” said Macozoma.
Through its urban freeway management systems, it kept traffic flowing and saved lives by attending to more than 77 000 incidents and 10 600 collisions.
In addition, more than 75% of spending on capital projects and road maintenance was devoted to non-toll roads which reach into more remote rural areas.
An example of this is the green fields section of the N2 Wild Coast Route which will draw isolated and impoverished parts of the Eastern Cape into the economic mainstream.
Transforming the industry
Macozoma said SANRAL is using its contracting power to enable black contractors to participate in the construction industry.
A lack of access to capital and difficulties in purchasing equipment have, in the past, been solid barriers which prevent emerging contractors to secure major contracts.
SANRAL decided to “break the asphalt ceiling” by facilitating partnerships between major industry players and black contractors. Four such partnerships were concluded in the past year.
Through its tendering system, more than 70% of contracts – representing 61% of contract value – were awarded to black-owned companies. Some 25% of total contract value were secured by companies owned by black women.
However, the financial difficulties experienced by some large construction companies raised the possibility of their demise and an associated loss of high-level expertise to the sector.
“Without sufficient and sustainable funding, it is inevitable that the quality of the national road network will suffer and, given the dominance of road transportation in this country, this would have an adverse economic impact,” said Macozoma.
About 75% of total freight in South Africa are transported on roads and 70% of this volume moves along the national road network.
The Integrated Report notes that SANRAL recorded a profit of R2.4-billion in 2018/19. Overall spending on capital projects and road maintenance decreased by 19% in 2018/19 and by a total of 22% over a two-year period.
Because of the transfer of R5.75-billion the non-toll operating division shows a loss of R96-million and toll portfolio shows a profit of R2.52-billion.
Among the major projects initiated by SANRAL in the past financial year are:
The strengthening of the R511 between Brits and Beestekraal in North West;
The construction of the cable-stayed bridge across the Msikaba River on the green fields section of the N2 Wild Coast Road;
The upgrading of the N11 from Newcastle to Madadeni, east of Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal; and
The construction of pedestrian facilities on the N2 between Umlaas Canal and Wandsbeck Road in eThekwini.
