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Trouble-free holiday journeys expected on N3 from Gauteng to the coast

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Travellers will not experience delays due to road works during the December holidays. 

The N3 freeway between Gauteng and the KwaZulu-Natal coastal resorts is in good condition and travellers will not experience any delays caused by road works during the coming festive season.

Peak traffic on the country’s national roads might occur somewhat earlier than normal because of the days on which December and January public holidays fall this holiday season.  

All public schools close on December 12, a Wednesday, and open on a Tuesday, a week after January 1. 

Traffic will begin to pick up in the week of school closures and traffic volumes will become heavy from Friday, 14 December, the beginning of a long weekend as Monday is a public holiday with December 16 falling on a Sunday. It is also  when the building industry closes. 

As Christmas falls on a Tuesday, it can be expected that traffic will start peaking on the previous Friday, on December 21. 

The end of the holiday period is also somewhat different. New Year’s Day is on a Tuesday and so is the day public schools re-open on January 8. This may mean peak traffic on the Mondays before. 

No delays 

The N3 freeway between Gauteng and the KwaZulu-Natal coastal resorts is in good condition and travellers will not experience any delays caused by road works during the coming festive season. 

Vusi Mona, general manager: communications of the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited, said road conditions are good and holiday makers can expect trouble-free journeys throughout the route barring unforeseen traffic incidents or adverse weather conditions. 

Mona also calls on road users to keep road safety in mind when they take to the country’s roads during the festive season.  

“The main message is to remember that a road is a shared space and that you should be respectful towards your fellow road users.” 

Speed limits are clearly indicated on the 22 214 km of roads managed by SANRAL in all nine provinces.  

Mona said: “These are maximum limits and drivers should adjust their speed according to conditions such as rain or visibility. 

“Speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol are some of the major causes of road crashes – road users should heed the call to #DontDrinkDrive & #KnowYourWhoa. 

“Road user behaviour contributes a lot to road crashes and we appeal to motorists to respect the rules of the road and to also ensure their vehicles are roadworthy.” 

Helpful tools 

Motorists can use a variety of SANRAL tools to help plan their travel better. They can visit the SANRAL website, www.nra.co.za for help in planning their journeys.  

SANRAL has made available a series of videos to help motorists plan their journeys, from what route to use, what to expect on the road, the estimated expenditure for tolls and rest spots on the route. 

Motorists can also download the SANRAL App for the convenience of topping up their e-tag accounts from the comfort of their cars. 

“The app can be downloaded for free on all Android and iOS devices, and also offers users information about road conditions, traffic congestion and incidents on the road and enables motorists to plan their journeys in advance,” explained Mona. 

Incidents should be reported to the South African Police Services (10111), the National Traffic Call Centre (NTCC) on 012 665 6075   or to the N3 route patrol customer care line on 0800 203 950.

Survey contradicts perceptions on e-tolls

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More than half of respondents would be happy to pay for e-tolls in Gauteng, according to poll results.

The bi-annual survey is done in partnership between the Gauteng provincial government and the Universities of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand.

 

The growth in the number of Gauteng residents who are willing to pay for e-tolls shows that this remains a viable option to fund road infrastructure in South Africa’s economic heartland. 

Vusi Mona, general manager: communications of the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL), said the findings of the Quality of Life Survey 2017/18 released by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) show that more than half of the respondents would be willing to pay for e-tolls. 

This is 10% higher than the comparative figures in the survey conducted in 2016. 

Mona said: “The survey results clearly contradict the perceptions created by special interest groups that there is overwhelming resistance against e-tolls in Gauteng or that it in an issue which is uppermost in the minds of residents. 

“The findings will, no doubt, contribute to a more nuanced and constructive debate about the value that road infrastructure brings to a region’s economy and on the range of funding options that are available.” 

Some 25000 respondents polled 

The bi-annual survey is done in partnership between the Gauteng provincial government and the Universities of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand.  

It polled the opinions of some 25 000 respondents across every municipal ward in the province. 

On e-tolls the respondents were asked the question whether they agree with the statement: “I will never pay my e-tolls.”  

Some 51% of the participants either “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed” with this statement. This is a discernible growth from the 40% who agreed when the question was asked in 2016. 

Strong opposition to e-tolls also declined from 12% to 9% in the corresponding period. 

Christina Culwick, the senior researcher at the Gauteng City Region Observatory, said that 43% of respondents in the lowest income brackets indicated that e-tolls are not an issue for them because they do not use the freeways.  

“This suggests that e-tolls are a relatively progressive payment option for the freeway upgrades.” 

Mona said this finding confirms the wisdom of government’s decision to make e-tolls more affordable for Gauteng residents by lowering the tariffs and exempting registered public transport, taxis and buses from paying. 

The survey also shows that issues related to spatial inequalities – unemployment, crime and access to opportunities – are uppermost in the minds of Gauteng residents.  

The availability of a well-funded and well-maintained road infrastructure can contribute to solutions for these pressing problems. 

“Government is busy with a comprehensive review of its policy on road infrastructure funding and the use of tolling as an option,” said Mona.  

“The GCRO survey results will, no doubt, add to the quality of information that is available to government and result in decisions that will balance the need for well-funded roads with the capacity of users to pay.”

From a wheelbarrow to a wheelchair

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SANRAL’s Wellness Programme makes a dream come true for 78-year-old Eastern Cape grandmother. 

SANRAL launched its Wellness Programme in 2011 and rolled the programme out to different parts of the country. In 2016, the programme was introduced into the Eastern Cape. 

Receiving a wheelchair was a life-changing experience for Ntakimba Mamkone, an elderly woman who, for years, had endured being pushed in a wheelbarrow for over 12-kilometres to and from a local clinic in Cwele, a village nearby Mthatha in the Eastern Cape Province.

Her dream of owning a wheelchair turned into reality after her plight was identified through a SANRAL wellness programme.  

Nombuso Feke, a wellness programme participant and female-owned Small Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) working on the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited’s (SANRAL’s) R61 Routine Maintenance project, took it upon herself to assist and donated the wheelchair.

“In 2014, my mother had her leg amputated due to diabetes. This awakened me to the hardships people in her community face and I always wished I could do more to assist, especially when it came to Mamkone,” said Feke. 

Bringing healthcare closer to workers

SANRAL launched its Wellness Programme in 2011 and rolled the programme out to different parts of the country. In 2016, the programme was introduced into the Eastern Cape.

The purpose of the programme is to bring healthcare closer to workers and their families, to promote a healthy lifestyle and improve the wellbeing SANRAL’s Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) project teams.

Xoliswa Chubana, SANRAL Southern Region’s Community Development Specialist, said: “The programme does not only concentrate on HIV/AIDS awareness, but also on the holistic wellbeing of all employees working on RRM contracts. The Wellness Champion creates awareness around certain symptoms and prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases. HIV Counselling & Testing (HCT) and health screenings are conducted bi-annually on site.” 

There are 18 Wellness Champions throughout all SANRAL’s RRM sites in the Southern Region.

“The Wellness Champions on all projects are encouraged to carry out outreach programmes on their sites. The R61 Mthatha to Port St Johns was one of them driven by Buli Dlutu,” Chubana said. 

Ma Mamkone is 78-years-old, lives with a physical disability and has 12 grandchildren. One of her granddaughters dropped out of school to take care of her. She would transport Ma Mamkone on a wheelbarrow to and from the clinic for her appointments.

Feke said; “After SANRAL appointed me as an SMME on the R61 Section 8, not only was I able to support my own family but Ma Mamkone, whose situation I was able to relate closely to because of the personal struggle and suffering of my mother’s experience”.  

Feke is glad to have helped her community and is looking forward to helping more families.

Chubana said: “SANRAL and SMMEs are working together to ensure better lives for each one in South Africa through the continuation of promoting and creating awareness about healthcare to the workers and their families. Family members also participate in the programme.  

“The Wellness programme also provides family visits by the Wellness Champions and talks are given about the current wellness topic of the month. During HIV counselling and testing the workers are allowed the opportunity to bring up to five of their families.”

Minister officially opens iconic Mt Edgecombe Interchange

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This upgrade has forever changed the landscape, and will no doubt become a recognizable landmark. 

Overhead view of the completed Mt Edgecombe Interchange.

Five years after the first pile was driven into the ground for major upgrading, the iconic Mount Edgecombe Interchange was officially opened by Minister of Transport Blade Nzimande, a fitting end to the 2018 October Transport Month. 

He described the interchange as “a veritable civil engineering work of art” and said it was a fine example of infrastructure development that has multifarious spin-offs: it contributes greatly to easing traffic congestion, promotes road safety and is also a significant business enabler. 

“Today’s ceremony comes between the stimulating announcement last Friday of the promised inflow of investments totalling R290-billion that will jump-start the economy, and the drawing to a close of October Transport Month 2018, which has showcased the country’s transport infrastructure development and services,” he said. 

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) awarded the contract for upgrading of the intersection of the N2 and M41 to ease chronic congestion. 

SANRAL CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma said the R1,1-billion interchange, which is one of the largest projects undertaken by SANRAL in KwaZulu-Natal, is more than a masterpiece of award-winning architecture – it is a vital artery of the greater eThekwini metropolitan highway system and has greatly contributed to SMME development. 

He said: “Due to the expansion of the uMhlanga and La Lucia Ridge areas, the existing interchange had been operating at capacity with vehicles backing up on the M41 and onto the N2 in peak hours. 

“An additional 40 000 vehicles were entering or leaving the N2 from the M41 daily resulting in substantial queuing of vehicles during the day.  

“This, together with expected future expansions and development of the Cornubia area, required the existing interchange to be upgraded in order to improve the flow to and from the N2 and M41 to the supporting road network.” 

A changed landscape 

This upgrade has forever changed the landscape, and will no doubt become a recognisable landmark. 

The new four-level interchange facility provides at least two lanes on each of the major movements. The upgrade includes the implementation of directional ramps, eliminating the need for controlled signalisation, thus ensuring free flow of traffic in all directions. 

The construction was jointly funded by SANRAL and KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and was undertaken by the South African branch of Italian construction company CMC di Ravenna. 

Two incrementally launched bridges are part of the interchange upgrade. One bridge, which is 948m long – the longest incrementally launched bridge in South Africa – joins the Mt Edgecombe side of the M41 with the N2 South. The other bridge is 440m long and joins the uMhlanga side of the M41 with the N2 North. 

The 948m bridge has 23 piers and two abutments and was built from two ends – one portion launched on a curve and the other on a straight. 

To provide for the safety of pedestrians, a pedestrian bridge has been constructed over the N2 and will connect to new footways. 

In addition, lighting has been installed to ensure the whole interchange is lit at night for increased safety. 

Engineering achievements 

The multiple engineering achievements behind this mammoth project are testimony to the exceptional skill and abilities of the entire construction team.  

The project engaged 80 designers at the peak of the design phase. Not a single road was closed permanently during construction. 

The improvement of roads has knock-on effects – it helps to develop SMMEs and create jobs. 

The maximum number of persons employed at a time by the Mt Edgecombe Interchange contractor and sub-contractors was 803 of which 724 were from the eThekwini target area, with a total of R240-million spent on wages to date. 

A total of 31 sub-contractors have been employed with work to the value of R59-million performed by 21 SMMEs to date. 

Resident engineer Henk Kaal said although there was a lot of skepticism about the completion date of the project, motorists are now beginning to smile as they start enjoying the improved flow of traffic.

Roads bring opportunity and upliftment to Mzamba

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The project is part of the community development and small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMME) training programme.  

Mbizana Local Municipal Mayor Councillor Daniswa Mafumbatha (second from left) during a ribbon cutting ceremony of the completion of the community access roads in Mzamba, Eastern Cape. Mayor Mafumbatha was joined by Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL Southern Region Stakeholder Relations Coordinator (left), Ntsizakalo Ngalo a Senior Facilitator for MAJV, and Hilda Cwele a Community Development Worker on the project.

Ten SMMEs received their SAQA accredited NQF certificates at the announcement of the completion of the construction of a 4.5km community access road in Mzamba in the Mbizana Local Municipality. 

The road construction project, which started in June 2016 and took two years to complete, is part of the community development and small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMME) training programme, which forms part of small business support strategies to optimise local economic development through the N2 Wild Coast Toll Road (N2WCTR) development in the Eastern Cape. 

Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL Southern Region’s Stakeholder Relations Coordinator, said: “The area has benefitted from the contract as the improvement of skills and knowledge has been critical to the built-environment capacity development within the municipality to assist the municipality to be able to support the provision of Sustainable Rural Local Economic Development.” 

In addition to the completion of the access roads, the community hall was also refurbished. 

Locals voice appreciation 

Chief Lunga Baleni said he was happy the project had been completed.  

“I hope this relationship with SANRAL will continue. I would like to encourage SANRAL to continue with their community development programmes in our area,” he said. 

Mbizana Local Municipal Mayor Councillor Daniswa Mafumbatha said they were happy to see the “great work” that was done by the SMMEs. 

“The roads built are beautiful. We can see that the money was spent well. We can see the growth in our SMMEs. I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate the job opportunities that were created on this project. We like what we see. The certificates handed out are not given to people because of their associations, but for their hard work and training,” said Mayor Mafumbatha. 

Mafumbatha added that it was “through the collaboration between the Municipality and SANRAL that the hall was also refurbished”. 

Dr Mongezi Noah, SANRAL Southern Region Community Development Specialist, said there more projects were on the cards and that the completion of the community access roads was just the beginning. 

“I encourage SMMEs to tender to work on other projects. The municipality can utilise the SMMEs from the area that have been developed,” Noah said. 

Ward 24 Councillor Ntlahla Hlebo said the community was “very happy” the road had been completed and the hall refurbished. 

Hlebo said: “Before this new road our road was gravel. During floods in the past, there would be big potholes. During heavy rains it was difficult for an ambulance to drive to a house, instead, people had to arrange for a lift or push someone in a wheelbarrow to the R61 and meet the ambulance there.  

“The training the SMMEs received has made them employable. They can look for work anywhere.” 

SMMEs benefit 

Nombali Hlongwe, a co-owner of Pumlani Construction, was elated with her certificate. 

“Now that the project is complete, I am looking at upgrading to CIDB level and am now looking at tender opportunities. Now that I have completed the project and received the certificate, I feel that the world has opened a lot of opportunities for me. The project has been successful for all of us,” said Hlongwe. 

Sethu Sibeni from Ngxathi Trading was very happy to have received his NQF level 3 certificate. Sibeni worked as a supervisor on the project. 

“The community appreciates the new road.  During heavy rains it was not easy to travel on this road. Having a tarred road means that public transport can now access the communities easier. The completion of the access road also means there is quicker access to the R61,” said Sibeni. 

Sibeni’s goal is to own a block yard and supply local businesses with material. 

The two-year project created opportunities for 50% women-owned Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), 70% youth-owned SMMEs and jobs for 130 people from the local community. 

Fifty of the local community members were also trained and received SAQA accredited NQF Level 2 certificates in road construction, while the remaining 80 received certificates for technical skills gained on the job.  

Sixty-four local SMMEs who did not qualify to be part of the construction project, received tendering training for construction contracts. 

Upgrading contractors 

Following the completion of the project, it is anticipated that Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) upgrades will take place, with ten Grade 1CEs upgrading to Grade 2CE contractors. 

The training project entailed five phases, including: 

  • assessment of site conditions, socio-economic conditions of the area, and the availability of resources; 
  • design of approximately 4500m of community access road; 
  • local SMME participation through open tender process – 10 subcontracted on the construction of the haul roads; 
  • theoretical and practical training of the local SMMEs;  
  • construction of community access roads using labour-enhanced construction methods; 
  • CIDB Grading 4 local sub-contractor was used to construct earthworks and layerworks, while other suppliers were used to supply kerbs, water, sand and various materials to the project; 
  • Community policing forum was used for security on site; 
  • Various service providers used for catering and supply of toilets. 

“The community has benefitted from the contract as the improvement of skills and knowledge is critical to the building of capacity within the community. This will assist the Municipality in supporting the provision of Sustainable Rural, Local and Economic Development,” said Gcobani Socenywa, project manager for SANRAL Southern Region.

SANRAL develops knowledge economy with all-weekend Hackathon for youth

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The Hackathon challenged participants to use the data and technology available to them to come up with tangible solutions for the road user. 

Darawees Taliep from ETC (left) congratulates the members of Team “On the Road Again” for their winning mobile solution.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) understands the importance of and is fully committed to developing South Africa’s knowledge economy, using the pillars of knowledge sharing, skills transfer, collaboration and innovation.  

SANRAL and Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) recently partnered with WhereIsMyTransport to host the ETC Hackathon in Cape Town. 

With the theme of Collaborate & Innovate, participants in the Hackathon were invited to create innovative smart mobility applications utilising both Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) toll gantry data and WhereIsMyTransport public transport related data. 

SANRAL has been innovative  

SANRAL, manages the tenth-largest national road network in the world and has, for some time, been operating in the digital space with its Freeway Management System that deploys dedicated cameras on 520km of the busiest freeways across the country.  

Here, real-time traffic data is collected and used to determine how best to respond to an incident, dispatching the relevant response entity and ultimately saving lives on our roads. 

Randall Cable, SANRAL’s Western Region Manager, officially opened the Hackathon challenging the participants to use the data and technology available to them to come up with tangible solutions for the road user. 

“It is encouraging to see the low average age of the participants (under 25 years) and how committed these young South Africans are to be part of the change they want to see in our country,” said Cable. 

The Hackathon was sponsored by ETC, which was established in 2009 to supply and manage an integrated tolling system on behalf of SANRAL. 

According to Darewees Taliep from ETC, the system handles 550 000 transactions per hour, which equates to 155 transactions every second. ETC made a random selection of transactional data available to the participants for them to create a mobile solution to aid safe and improved road user experiences.  

Some of the proposed avenues included drawing usage/behaviour patterns, analysing traffic volumes, customer service centres and identifying foreign vehicles. 

“It is believed that 90% of the world’s big data was gathered in the last two years only. Big data analytics and building solutions using this data is definitely where the world is headed,” said Talliep in his briefing session to the participants. 

Innovation in mobility 

In Cape Town, 50% of all public transport trips occur in minibus taxis and involve primarily women and children under the age of 13.  

They do so without a schedule or the ability to plan according to a timetable, yet they must get to work and to school on time. This is according to WhereIsMyTransport, who facilitated and provided expert tech and data support during the weekend. 

The role of innovation in mobility for our emerging cities was the background against which they encouraged the participants to think out the box when developing public transport solutions that would make life easier for the ordinary man on the street, to navigate from point to point. 

Through their public transport API, they gave participants access to all the main public transport platforms, ie. bus, taxi, train, walking routes, etc, and these could be integrated to best achieve usable public transport solutions for the public. 

The winning team, which conceptualised a mobile solution that delivers turn-by-turn public transport directions via SMS or WhatsApp, walked off with a R20 000 cash prize and a year’s worth of free access to the WhereIsMyTransport Public Transport API. 

Cable said: “SANRAL firmly believes in the ability of the youth to add value to the broader transport industry. We have invested in a Technical Innovation Hub, which is thriving with young engineers exploring the extent to which technology can improve road user experiences, particularly as we head in the direction of smart cities, which demands smart mobility and disruptive thinking.  

“We are incredibly excited about the different solutions the Hackathon participants came up with to challenge the status quo, and we look forward to seeing some of these ideas come to fruition.”

Less traffic congestion for Hartbeespoort Dam

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Motorists will enjoy a free flow of traffic and there will be a better link to the North West Province from the west of Pretoria and Johannesburg once the project is completed. 

Challenges faced during construction mainly relate to the quality of the in-situ material from the cutting slopes in the Magalies Neck, and the supply of suitable fill material locally.

Traffic flow in the Hartbeespoort Dam is set to improve with construction work on the R512-PWV3 making good progress.  

The estimated completion date is December 2019.   

Once the project is completed, motorists will enjoy a free flow of traffic and there will be a better link to the North West Province from the west of Pretoria and Johannesburg.  

Alex van Niekerk, Planning, Toll and Transport Manager of the South African National Road Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL), said: “The completion of the project will also ensure that long distance movements do not interfere with local traffic. The road stretches from the R512 to the west of the dam, through Pampoennek to the connection with the N4 to Rustenburg.” 

Details of the project 

Challenges faced during construction mainly relate to the quality of the in-situ material from the cutting slopes in the Magalies Neck, and the supply of suitable fill material locally. The project was originally scheduled to be completed in October 2019, but this has been extended due to changes made to the Game Underpass, which resulted in a larger structure being erected and thus requiring more time to complete.                                                                                               

The excavations at Pampoennek are progressing well and are approximately 80% completed.   

The contract must comply with the environmental authorisation and management plan issued by the Department of Environmental Affairs.  

As part of the plan, indigenous flora was rescued from the affected areas and will be reinstated into its natural environment on the cutting slopes in the Magalies Neck. 

As part of SANRAL’s project objectives to actively promote the development of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) and job creation, the contractor has created 165 jobs and utilised 21 SMMEs to date.  

SANRAL will continue to work on reducing traffic congestion in the area said Van Niekerk.  

“We look forward to successfully completing this project without harming the environment,” he said.

“Pay your tolls!” is the call from the new Minister of Finance

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Tito Mboweni singled out the road network as a vital element that “supports growth and development” in an economy that is dependent on land transport. 

Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, singled out the road network as a vital element that “supports growth and development” in an economy that is dependent on land transport. 

A strong commitment to prioritise the country’s road network and a passionate plea to South Africans to “pay our tolls” were important features of new Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s first Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. 

This is vital to restore a culture of payment in the country, instil confidence in investors and ensure sustainable service delivery. 

The Minister also highlighted SANRAL’s partnerships with concessionaires as examples of how the public and private sectors can work together to deliver vital infrastructure.  

“These kinds of partnerships will be accelerated,” he announced. 

Speaking in Parliament, Mboweni devoted considerable time to announce steps taken to revitalise the country’s infrastructure as a core element of broader plans to attract investment, stimulate economic activities and create jobs. 

He singled out the road network as a vital element that “supports growth and development” in an economy that is dependent on land transport. 

“Over the medium term, funds are reprioritised to enable the strengthening and rehabilitation of the national non-toll road network – of which about 75% is beyond its design life,” he said. 

User pay principle 

Mboweni also committed to the user-pay principle as “the most efficient and effective way to ensure that the direct benefits of services are paid for by those who use them”. 

“If we want road transport that works, we need to pay our tolls,” he said. 

“We need to restore a culture of payment in this country to ensure the sustainability of our services and to give confidence to those institutions who invest in our bonds.” 

In the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement – released together with the Minister’s speech – Treasury committed itself to the allocation of R5.8-billion to SANRAL for 2018/19.  

This amount is shifted to SANRAL within the adjusted budget for the Department of Transport (Vote 35). 

It notes that SANRAL has government guarantees of R38.9-billion, but there is a risk that the guarantees might be called in because it is not generating enough cash from the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project to settle redemptions falling due over the medium-term period. 

Mboweni’s speech built strongly on the recent announcements by President Cyril Ramaphosa to prioritise infrastructure and revitalise state-owned companies.  

It was delivered on the eve of the National Investment Summit in Sandton where the President announced details on government’s progress to attract both local and foreign investment in the economy. 

The current reconfiguration of state-owned companies requires the country “to take a hard look at how they operate”.  

It also presents “an opportunity to demolish the walls that exist between the private and public sectors,” Mboweni said. 

Successful partnerships with the private sector – such as on the N3 highway and the N1/N4 Platinum Road – are examples of how service level agreements can be put in place to define relationships between the two sectors. 

Eight highlights from the 2018/19 Medium-Term Budget: 

  1. SA’s growth forecast has been revised down from 1.5% to 0.7%, but is expected to pick up to over 2% by 2021 “as confidence returns and investment gathers pace”. 
  2. The National Development Plan will occupy a central place in government policies and planning. This includes a commitment to strong, inclusive and sustained growth to sharply reduce unemployment, poverty and inequality. 
  3. Almost R16-billion of the 2018/19 Budget has been reprioritised towards infrastructure programmes and initiatives to support industrialisation. Investments in roads and transport infrastructure will improve access to social and economic facilities and help to attract investment, particularly in township economies. 
  4. Development finance institutions, multilateral development banks and private banks will be roped in to design, finance and implement infrastructure projects. Government will develop a framework and implement regulatory reforms to enable long-term investors to commit funds that will lead to returns on investment. 
  5. National Treasury will work with other department to deal with financial misconduct in all spheres of government. This will include the “employment of qualified, competent and incorruptible officials”. 
  6. No additional funds will be allocated for the implementation of the public service wage agreement. National and provincial departments will have to absorb these costs within their compensation baselines. 
  7. Treasury will work with the Auditor General to reduce fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure across the public sector and law enforcement agencies “will act against those implicated in wrongdoing”. 
  8. Government is working with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange to strengthen debt listing requirements for state-owned companies. This will lead to increased transparency and improved governance in this sector.

Tshwane Mayor urged to check his facts

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SANRAL CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma has echoed Finance Minister’s passionate plea to South Africans to pay road tolls.

 

SANRAL has achieved its 15th consecutive unqualified audit, as was revealed in its annual financial statements. The report includes a concern with respect to the future funding of roads. 

Following on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s backing for the user pay principle, Skhumbuzo Macozoma, CEO of the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) has sought to correct the “e-toll facts” given by Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga. 

A strong commitment to prioritise the country’s road network and a passionate plea to South Africans to pay tolls were important features of new Finance Minister’s first Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement.  

This is necessary to restore a culture of payment in the country, instil confidence in investors and ensure sustainable service delivery. 

He singled out the road network as a vital element that “supports growth and development” in an economy dependent on land transport.  

The Minister committed to the user pay principle as “the most efficient and effective way to ensure that the direct benefits of services are paid for by those who use them”. 

Macozoma said: “Paying tolls is the law until decided otherwise. We urge motorists not to listen to calls for an e-toll boycott – this is how debt grows until when it is time to pay, motorists will find themselves short on funds.” 

Macozoma pointed out that the Tshwane Mayor’s “e-toll facts” were misrepresentations of the truth. 

Facts vs Fiction 

Msimanga: “R5.70 per litre of fuel and licence fees are not spent on road maintenance.” 

Fact: The fuel levy and vehicle licence renewal fees accrue to the national fiscus and are not ring-fenced for allocation to SANRAL. SANRAL’s allocation from Treasury is not linked to the fuel levy or vehicle licence fees. 

Msimanga: “93% of all e-tolls fees are leaving SA – only 7% is being used for maintenance of the road.” 

Fact: The e-toll operator is only paid for services delivered on the electronic toll collection system, as per tendered rates. Maintenance is not linked to the operator’s fee. 

Msimanga: “SANRAL has irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure of over R10bn.” 

Fact: Regulations define “irregular expenditure” as “expenditure incurred where there was non-compliance with any law or regulation”.
In the case of SANRAL, in 63% of cases the term “irregular” is used because of a disagreement with the Auditor-General (AG) over the interpretation of “the lowest acceptable price”.  

Neither the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) nor the regulations provide a definition of what exactly “acceptable” means.  

SANRAL applied a statistical model designed by the University of Pretoria to determine this value for every tender.  

This was done to ensure sustainable pricing for SMMEs, who may otherwise be vulnerable to undercutting. This method was used for more than 11 years, during which there were no findings from the AG, nor complaints from contractors.  

In 2013 the AG declared the model non-compliant with the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA). Once the AG declared this methodology “irregular expenditure”, it was immediately abandoned and the absolute lowest price was accepted. 

Contracts already awarded based on this model could conclude because in all cases they represented good value for money. The contracts concluded in the 2017/18 financial year, but remain in the cumulative balance. 

Msimanga: “The system is corrupt and SANRAL must be investigated.” 

Fact: This claim is patently false. It has been publicly disproved many times. The former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, investigated SANRAL and there were no adverse findings. There were successive court actions. In no instance were there any negative findings on issues relating to governance at SANRAL and the e-toll project. 

Healthy finances 

SANRAL has achieved its 15th consecutive unqualified audit, as was revealed in its annual financial statements. The report includes a concern with respect to the future funding of roads. 

In the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) – released with the Minister’s speech – Treasury allocated R5.8-billion to SANRAL for 2018/19. This amount is shifted to SANRAL within the adjusted budget for the Department of Transport (Vote 35). 

“To call this a bail-out is mischievous; 87% of SANRAL’s finances are healthy, with the 13% toll portfolio under strain,” Macozoma said.

Warm asphalt is becoming the industry standard

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When compared to hot mix asphalt, warm mix asphalt cools has less impact on the environment and is safer for workers. 

Warm mix asphalt is produced using temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius lower than what is used for traditional hot mix asphalt. Less energy is needed to heat the warm mix asphalt, so it uses less fuel, decreasing the plant’s carbon footprint.

The benefits of using warm asphalt as opposed to hot asphalt on South Africa’s national highways have been lauded at an international roads conference in Durban. 

Krishna Naidoo, a Material and Pavement Specialist at the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) Eastern Region, said the roads agency was working towards ensuring that its stand-alone asphalt supply plants produced only warm mix asphalt (WMA). 

“In this way SANRAL will be leading the charge in worker safety as well as reducing its carbon foot-print in providing sustainable infrastructure. We are indeed more than roads,” Naidoo said. 

He was addressing delegates attending the conference themed, “Roads to Social and Economic Growth”, arranged by the South African Road Federation (SARF) in association with the Washington-based International Road Federation (IRF) and the Paris-based World Roads Association (PIARC). 

Less environmental impact 

Warm mix asphalt is produced using temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius lower than used for traditional hot mix asphalt. Less energy is needed to heat the warm mix asphalt; thus, it uses less fuel, decreasing the carbon footprint. 

It is a greener process that has less impact on the environment, with reduced hydrocarbon emissions and greenhouse gases. Due to its lower temperature, it is also safer for construction workers to use. 

WMA’s journey in South Africa started about a decade ago with the formation of the country’s Warm Mix Asphalt Interest Group, led by Naidoo being elected the national coordinator. 

The WMA Interest Group led three major national trials that culminated in the publication of the South African Bitumen Association (Sabita) Best Practice guidelines and specifications for warm asphalt. 

“Through the process of these trials, the asphalt industry renewed its commitment to excellence, quality and efficiency. 

“But more importantly, it was the most tangible step by the entire asphalt industry, including clients, contractors and manufacturers, towards improving worker safety as well as reducing environmental impact,” said Naidoo. 

Hot versus warm mix 

Naidoo said: “When compared to hot mix asphalt, warm mix asphalt cools at a lower rate, so the paving season is extended, allowing road repairs and construction to finish more quickly. 

“This benefit helps save time and money on labour and equipment, as workers and tools are needed for a smaller span of time and projects can be finished more quickly. It also lessens the impact on traffic as projects finish faster and there are less interruptions to roadways.”   

The benefits of WMA, Naidoo said, were now being realised by more client’s country-wide and have also been included in the draft revision of COTO – Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Works. 

“To date South Africa has successfully produced and paved over a million tons of WMA. 

“The latest success story has been the 370km haul of asphalt to a SANRAL job in Harrismith,” said Naidoo. 

He added that with the impending implementation of the Carbon Tax Bill, WMA will help contribute to offset the tax.