SiphiwoMxhosa is SANRAL’s Stakeholder Relations Manager and has been at the helm for a little over a year. We chat to him about the agency’s stakeholder pillar.
Siphiwo Mxhosa is SANRAL’s Stakeholder Relations Manager and has been at the helm for a little over a year.
Why is stakeholder engagement important to SANRAL?
Because we want to entrench Constitutional values – to deliver infrastructure to the people of South Africa. We also want to correct the past practice of engineering projects that excluded South Africans. A more active citizenry has meant that nothing can be delivered to the people if their participation is not defined and allowed.
What responsibilities does SANRAL have to its stakeholders?
SANRAL has a Constitutional responsibility to its stakeholders to ensure that they fully participate, that their voice and contribution matter and are fully taken into consideration.
What actions could SANRAL take to address stakeholders’ concerns when they arise?
SANRAL must always take a listening posture. The agency must always act and communicate on the views and contributions of all its stakeholders, no matter who they are.
What are the benefits of engaging stakeholders?
Cohesive delivery and mutual relationships that are sustainable, even during disagreements. This will, in the long term, assist those same stakeholders to be the organisation’s mouthpiece to the world. They will own and protect SANRAL’s roads infrastructure against any form of attack, vandalism or theft.
What are the risks of doing it wrong or not at all?
Massive resources costs for the country – negative reviews by ratings agencies, loss of funders and irreparable reputational damage to the brand.
The upgrade of the N3 is essential if one of the government’s strategic integrated projects, linking Durban harbour with Gauteng, is to succeed. We chat to eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede about the implications of the project.
The Port of Durban, commonly called Durban Harbour, is the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa.
How important are roads?
Road infrastructure plays an important role in our lives as individuals and communities. It connects people with people and business to business. It helps to speed up the transportation of goods and people from one point to another. It is the backbone of our economic activities, and by building more roads and maintaining our existing roads, we keep the economy running smoothly.
Is the upgrade of the N3 necessary?
I welcome the upgrade of the N3 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg because it carries a large volume of goods and people. It is a busy route and not only connects us with our neighbouring major city, Johannesburg, but also with other provinces. As Durban is the city with the busiest port and biggest container harbour, the N3 is an important corridor because it enables us to have smooth trade. We welcome the improvement and upgrades, as they are a clear demonstration of our government’s commitment to deliver strategic infrastructure that will transform our economy, create jobs and stimulate further opportunities for growth.
What are some of the challenges with the current N3?
In its present state, the N3 cannot cope with the high volume of heavy vehicles. Also, the topography of certain sections of the route contributes to bottlenecks and crashes. The closure of the N3 causes major economic losses for businesses. We are hoping that this project will be completed on time. Working with the provincial government, the Minister of Transport and SANRAL, we hope to have this project completed with minimal delay. We remain optimistic that any challenges affecting the project will be resolved and that it moves with speed.
Would this upgrade improve the economy?
When people and goods move at the required pace, we will be able to facilitate trading services and ensure that we deliver on time. There will be more opportunities in terms of trade, transport, tourism and business activities in general.
How do you feel about the upliftment of local labour/SMMEs on the project?
We at eThekwini Municipality have adopted a framework that seeks to transform our local space for the socioeconomic development of our people. Our approach is and has always been that locals should benefit in terms of job opportunities. Community-based businesses, as well as formal and informal traders, must also benefit. Although this is a national project, communities living close to the project should be afforded the opportunity to own it through employment and subcontracting.
What is the role of the private sector in making the most of this project?
The partnership between the government and private sector is a strength. When we work well together, we create more opportunities to fight poverty, inequality and unemployment. The private sector must ensure that it performs and produces good-quality work that matches industry standards. It must also ensure that there is a transfer of skills and empowerment.
A company’s relationship with the public it serves forms the backbone of a good strategy for its projects. SANRAL’s Stakeholder Strategy is an integral part of the brand.
Stakeholder engagement is extremely important to the operation of any organisation. Before developing a strategy for engagement with stakeholders, a business must first understand what stakeholder engagement means to the organisation.
SANRAL’s stakeholder engagement practices are key success factors in achieving its strategy, which is why ‘Stakeholder’ is one of the organisation’s pillars.
The agency’s priority in creating value, in partnership with its stakeholders, is to ensure that stakeholder relationships are established and maintained ethically and accountably.
This is done through corporate governance mechanisms that include its Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Implementation Plans.
The Stakeholder Engagement Strategy specifies the norms and values that guide SANRAL’s stakeholder relations and establishes a systematic approach to the management of its stakeholder engagements.
Stakeholder engagement is extremely important to the operation of any organisation. Before developing a strategy for engagement with stakeholders, a business must first understand what stakeholder engagement means to the organisation.
Although it’s often used as an alternate phrase for public relations or reputation management, stakeholder engagement requires a shift in the corporate mindset – a change from treating stakeholders’ issues as outside concerns that need to be managed to serious topics that call for real discussion.
Stakeholder perspectives should inform the company’s strategy and operations if properly embraced.
Stakeholders influence brand equity – the public’s evaluation of a brand – which develops and grows because of their experiences with the brand.
This happens through awareness of, familiarity with, use of, preference for and loyalty to the brand.
However, the level of knowledge about stakeholder relations can vary among key individuals in a company and there may be a need to develop the organisation’s internal capacity before it launches any engagement activities.
It is therefore important that engagement is made a requirement for the development of an effective strategy.
This helps to avoid the risk of being unprepared to listen to stakeholder views and the risk of unintended misrepresentation. It also helps identify the internal champions and owners of future engagement activities.
These individuals are the internal stakeholders, who ideally should be involved in the process of building a strategy. There are many views of what stakeholder engagement involves. These include:
Ensuring that the relevant parties on whom business objectives have an impact are aware of the company’s projects, as well as their roles and responsibilities in ensuring the success of the projects;
Identifying the extended audience for communications, the project-related information they should receive and how often
Ensuring that all the project needs have been identified, their impact is understood and that any project assumptions have been tested.
Modern engineering made it possible for a bridge to be erected in two weekends.
The beams were cast in a specialised casting yard five kilometres away from the construction site.
It took just four days and minimal disruption for South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) to erect a bridge over both carriageways of a busy highway in KwaZulu-Natal.
Traffic on the N3 from Durban to Pietermaritzburg was recently diverted for two consecutive weekends as a new bridge was erected at Hammarsdale.
The development of the Keystone Park Light Industrial, Warehousing and Logistics Precinct at Hammarsdale has increased the volume of traffic – especially heavy vehicles – using the intersection of the N3 and MR 385.
SANRAL upgraded the interchange from a simple diamond interchange to a new semi-parclo (partial clover leaf) free-flow interchange to prevent a back-up of trucks onto the busy N3.
SANRAL Eastern Region project manager, Stephné Wilmot, said: “Given the high volumes of traffic using the N3 and the urgent need to construct the intersection as soon as possible to alleviate growing congestion by heavy vehicles, it was decided to use time-saving construction measures.”
Ian Jackson, resident engineer at Hatch consulting engineers, said precast beams were used to minimise delays.
He said: “With short to medium span bridges, you basically have three types of decks – cast in-situ; precast beams and deck slab; and a launched deck.
“The cast in-situ is the cheapest but will entail closing a carriageway for approximately three to four months and diverting both directions of traffic onto the one carriageway, and then repeating the procedure for the next deck. Thus, it is time consuming and severely affects traffic.”
A launch deck is cost prohibitive because it is expensive to set up the launch yard, said Jackson. The geometrics of the bridge would only allow the launch of two decks. There are practical and cost constraints.
“Thus, a precast beam deck and slab has the least disruption of the traffic – two days in which to place the beams across each carriageway – and is also the most cost effective,” he said.
Specialised casting yard
Jackson said the beams were cast in a specialised casting yard five kilometres away from the construction site.
The beams were transported from the casting yard to site with special low-bed vehicles.
As each beam weights 37 tons, a large crane was used to lift and place each beam in position.
It took two days to position 23 beams per deck. Owing to the positioning of the crane to lift the beams and the potential danger to traffic, each carriageway was closed during the lifting and placing operation.
SMMEs and NGOs from the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality have benefitted from SANRAL training programmes.
(From left to right) Hon. Cllr Motanyane with recipient, Hluphekile Mahlangu and Progress Hlahla, SANRAL Regional Manager.
Small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) from the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality recently completed training programmes designed to provide them with the skills they require to succeed in the construction industry.
In total, 135 SMMEs and 185 NGOs attended the programmes, with the SMMEs placing focus on the process of applying for tenders.
While working on the Moloto Road project and seeking to partner with locals, the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) noticed local SMMEs have little exposure to the tendering process, which disadvantages them when responding to bids.
Supporting emerging-black-owned businesses
SANRAL Northern Region Manager, Progress Hlahla, said: “If we are going to transform the construction industry, it goes without saying that where we can we must provide emerging black-owned businesses with the support they require.
“The last thing we want is for a talented organisation to lose out on an opportunity due to their lack of experience and know-how in completing tender documents.”
Participants in the programme were trained in contract documentation, pricing and basic tendering processes, amongst other skills.
Speaking at the certification ceremony held at Kwaggafontein Hall, Thembisile Hani Local Municipality, Cllr Motanyane, said: “We are grateful for the work SANRAL and Raubex construction have done in training our people. It will give them a ray of hope and bring them closer to opportunities that may arise. We hope this initiative will not stop with this group, but that many communities are able to benefit.”
From death to hope
Project Manager of section 2 on the road, Nontobeko Mathenjwa, said: “This is a good story for us to tell. Over the years, we have been working on transforming Moloto Road from one of death to one that brings an enhanced livelihood for South Africans.
“Today, we celebrate yet another ray of hope for the community of Thembisile Hani as their own are certified and ready to take on the construction industry”
To date, R21-million has been spent on local sub-contractors, SMMEs and local suppliers in the Mpumalanga section of the Moloto Road project, a considerable contribution to the local economy and job creation.
The R573 Moloto Road is one of South Africa’s busiest and essential economic routes connecting Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
It is part of SIP1, which is designed to unlock the northern mineral belt with the Waterberg as the catalyst. The Mpumalanga section was incorporated into the SANRAL network in 2015 and since then, continued routine road maintenance has been done to improve safety and mobility.
Approximately R4.5-billion has been allocated to the road upgrade across Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng over a five-year period.
SANRAL signs deal to further enhance the inclusion of black-owned enterprises in the construction sector.
SANRAL and Barloworld Equipment Southern Africa executives from left to right: Lefa Mallane, Thabiso Malahleha, Ismail Essa, Skhumbuzo Macozoma, Emmy Leeka, Ramasela Ganda, Vasco Santos and Makhosini Nyoni.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) and Barloworld Equipment reached a monumental agreement that will benefit emerging contractors in the construction industry.
The agreement between SANRAL and Barloworld Equipment, the dealer for Cat earthmoving machines and Cat power systems in southern Africa, will allow black-owned enterprises greater access to equipment, financing and training, which will enable them to tender more effectively on road construction projects managed by the agency.
Skhumbuzo Macozoma, the CEO of SANRAL, said: “This will open up the industry to new participants and remove many of the barriers that prevent companies owned by black, women and youth entrepreneurs to compete effectively against the entrenched players in the construction sector.
“Through our co-operation with Barloworld Equipment we are promoting the growth of black business and taking positive steps to support a sector with immense potential for growth and job creation.”
This is the second Memorandum of Understanding between SANRAL and a top industrial company to support the growth of emerging contractors.
Emerging contractors empowered
Emmy Leeka, CEO of Barloworld Equipment southern Africa, said this is an opportunity to contribute to empowerment in the construction industry.
“We have built valuable partnerships with black-owned enterprises through the years and this initiative will take our activities to a higher level,” said Leeka.
“This will enable us to deliver on our incubation and empowerment commitments and work with SANRAL towards the greater goal to transform the engineering and construction sectors,” said Vasco Santos, Executive Head: Construction, Rental & Used at Barloworld Equipment.
The Memorandum of Understanding sets out future co-operation between SANRAL and Barloworld Equipment across a broad range of activities, including providing small contractors in the SANRAL supply chain access to equipment, financing and training.
Barloworld Equipment will set up structures that will enable contractors to benefit from options to lease or rent equipment.
The company will also offer training to owners, employees and maintenance staff. Together, SANRAL and Barloworld Equipment will promote partnerships in the fields of training, fleet management, marketing and communication.
Proof of SANRAL’s transformation policy
Macozoma said the partnership is proof that SANRAL’s efforts to transform the construction sector and promote fair competition are delivering results.
Lack of access to sophisticated machinery and equipment is a major barrier for small contractors and prevents participating in large construction tenders.
Macozoma said: “By working together with established companies, we can remove these barriers and enable black-owned companies and enterprises owned by women and the youth to participate on a level playing field.
“This step will, no doubt, have a ripple effect within the construction and engineering industries and also benefit job creation within local communities where smaller enterprises now become part of the supply chains on larger projects.”
SANRAL makes it easier for the people of the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality to connect to opportunities.
Road users and communities of Bojanala Platinum District Municipality will benefit from the project through improved road safety and contracting opportunities for local SMMEs.
Road users in the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality will be brought closer to various destinations as the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) embarks on a project to improve the R52, which is the shortest and most convenient route between Koster and Rustenburg.
The road is currently a 38.7km, two-lane, single-carriageway from Koster to Rustenburg with gravel shoulders.
Improvements
Improvements will include the addition of paved shoulders as well as the construction of appropriate surfacing, which will improve overtaking opportunities and decrease the high risk of accidents due to potholes.
Motorists will enjoy these benefits at no extra cost as the road will not be tolled.
“The R52 is at a very early stage of design, which will take 24 months to complete,” said SANRAL Project Manager, Lugisani Muravha.
This will be followed by the construction phase, which will commence in mid-2020 and be completed in 30 months. A contractor will be appointed once the design has been completed.
SMMEs benefit
“Road users and communities of Bojanala Platinum District Municipality will benefit from the project through improved road safety and contracting opportunities for local SMMEs,” said Muravha.
Construction labour and sub-contractors will be sourced from the Local Municipality and District Municipality respectively.
From January 2015 to the end of June 2018, SANRAL had invested over R2.8-billion on various road maintenance, repair and upgrades in the North West province.
This investment is expected to increase to as much as R12.8-billion as the 55 projects it has embarked on move closer to completion.
SANRAL’s regional manager for the northern provinces, Progress Hlahla, said: “We will continue to deliver quality infrastructure to enhance mobility in the region.
“We look forward to successfully implementing this project in line with our horizon 2030 strategy and our transformation policy, which seeks to enhance transformation in the built environment.”
South Africa’s largest interchange project has been recognised for technical expertise and quality weeks before the project has been finished.
Representatives of SANRAL, SMEC engineering consultants and SAICE Durban Branch with the award that went to the Mt Edgecombe Interchange for Technical Excellence in Construction.
Even before construction has been fully completed on the iconic Mt Edgecombe Interchange north of Durban, it has already won a prestigious award from the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE).
The SAICE Durban Branch Award for Technical Excellence in Construction was given because the interchange is considered to be “an outstanding example of technical expertise and quality, which has contributed substantially to the transportation experience of the public and the economy of the region”.
The entry will now be submitted to the SAICE National Awards for Technical Excellence in Construction.
Aesthetically complementing the surroundings
Currently the largest interchange project in South Africa, the Mt Edgecombe Interchange is also located in one of the fastest developing areas in the country, a factor that played a major role in the conceptual design of this upgrade to ensure that the interchange would aesthetically complement its fast-paced modern surroundings, stand the test of time in terms of life-span and deal with ever-growing traffic demands.
It is estimated that the interchange, which is being upgraded by the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL), will reduce travel time from 25 minutes to one minute on average.
The project, which started in April 2013, is within weeks of completion. In total nine bridges and 11km of ramps were built.
A total of 480 piles were used and 1.8km of mechanically stabilised earth walls were erected. The state-of-the-art lighting incorporates 400 light bulbs.
To improve the safety of pedestrians, a 432m-long pedestrian bridge has been constructed over the N2 and connects to new footways.
Corné Roux, SANRAL Eastern Region Project Manager: Pavement Design Support, said 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.
Facts about the interchange
The Incrementally Launched Method of bridge building was used, to ensure as little disruption to road users as possible.
A defining feature of this project is that it was one of the longest bridge viaducts ever constructed in South Africa.
This viaduct, referred to as B0215, has a deck length of 947m, which also makes it one of the longest incrementally launched bridges in the Southern Hemisphere.
The total cost of the project was set at just over R800-million but with escalation, the total contract expenditure is estimated at R1,136-billion, including VAT.
The maximum number of persons employed at a time by the contractor and sub-contractors was 803, of which 724 were from the eThekwini target area, with a total of R240-million spent on wages thus far.
R684,770.00 has been spent on training 461 people on skills such as steel-fixing, scaffolding erecting, operating construction equipment and various safety, engineering and entrepreneurial-related training.
A total of 31 sub-contractors have been employed with work to the value of R59-million performed by 21 SMMEs to date.
The South African Institution of Civil Engineering visited agency to engage with a broader spectrum of its members.
SAICE President Errol Kerst, left, and Dumisani Nkabinde, SANRAL Eastern Region regional manager, right, with some of the professional engineers at SANRAL Eastern region.
Top executives of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) recently paid a courtesy visit to meet with professional engineers at the Eastern Region offices of the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) in Pietermaritzburg.
Dumisani Nkabinde, SANRAL Eastern Region regional manager, warmly welcomed SAICE president Errol Kerst, SAICE CEO Manglin Pillay and Nadeena Le’ Tang, the institution’s public relations officer.
SAICE’s mission statement declares that it aims “to advance professional knowledge and improve the practice of civil engineering. The body strives to be a learned society for all those associated with civil engineering and to enable its members, through consultation and accountability, to provide the community with environmentally and economically sustainable infrastructure.”
‘Red letter day’
During its 20-year history, SANRAL has received numerous SAICE awards for excellence in various categories of civil engineering.
These include awards for its Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) in KwaZulu-Natal; the Dr Chota Motala Interchange in Pietermaritzburg, the Tshelimnyama and Blackburn Pedestrian Bridges and the Mt Edgecombe Interchange north of Durban.
Referring to the visit by the SAICE executives, Nkabinde said it was a “red letter day” for SANRAL Eastern Region as it was the first time SAICE had met with the team of engineers. He hoped this would be first of many meetings.
Civil engineering club
Kerst said SAICE was on a drive to engage with a broader spectrum of its members and encourage them to attend SAICE events.
“We want to get the whole civil engineering club going again. Any country revolves around civil engineering and we are there to serve the public through roads, bridges storm water drains and sewerage systems.”
Pillay said SAICE was home to more than 10 000 civil engineering practitioners from all avenues of the built environment, including lecturers at all universities and places of learning that offer civil engineering.
“Our members work in the private sector, mainly in consulting and construction, and in parastatals including Eskom, Transnet, SANRAL, PRASA and others.”
He said more than 45% of SAICE’s membership is black.
Considering South Africa’s history before 1994, Pillay said: “A more accurate measure of transformation is found in that almost 70% of SAICE’s membership under the age of 36 is black.
“The engineering sector still has more work to do on racial transformation, but the current actual numbers show remarkable progress in the built environment.”
Pillay added that it must be considered that it takes on average eight years, not including the 12 years of basic education, for any individual to accumulate the necessary education and training before they are ready to register as professionals.
“There is no quick-fix solution, but we can build on the existing successes,” he said.
Accolade is commendation for the agency’s commitment and hard work in fulfilling its long-term strategy.
The roads agency enters its third decade with a fresh strategy and a clear vision on how to deliver a safe, efficient, reliable and resilient road transport system for the benefit of all South Africans.
In an evening dedicated to honouring legends and excellence in engineering, the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) was awarded Visionary Client of the year.
SANRAL received the award at the CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards 2018 held at Vodaworld in Midrand recently.
Every year, Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) celebrates and showcases innovation, quality, outstanding workmanship and professionalism in the industry.
In the year commemorating Nelson Mandela’s centenary, engineers were celebrated for creating legacies for future generations.
The CESA Awards focus on consulting engineers and their clients who participate in projects that promote the advancement of South Africa as well as recognise the contributions of young professionals and mentors to the engineering profession.
Hard work and commitment
SANRAL CEO, Skhumbuzo Macozoma, was grateful to his team for all their hard work and commitment to change the face of engineering.
“This is a direct commendation for our long-term strategy (also known as Horizon 2030), our vision and trajectory for the next 12 years.
“It is a vindication of our internal capability as this strategy was developed in-house. We will now bring this vision to life through our commitment, hard work and steadfastness,” said Macozoma.
This year is key in SANRAL’s growth as a visionary organisation within the broader South African engineering and construction sector.
The roads agency enters its third decade with a fresh strategy and a clear vision on how to deliver a safe, efficient, reliable and resilient road transport system for the benefit of all South Africans.
A challenging time for the industry
The awards come at a time when the industry is most challenged with several large construction companies facing financial difficulties.
SANRAL also received a special mention for the award of “Projects with a value greater than R250-million” undertaken by HHO consulting engineers for completed work on the N11 Section 10 – Mpumalanga to Loskop Dam – in Mpumalanga.
The project was started in 2015 to rehabilitate the section of the N11 from Middleburg to Loskopdam, improving access to the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, among other things.
The project delivered a high-quality infrastructure that integrates perfectly with the surroundings and provides the traveller with a safer passage.
“We’d like to congratulate all nominees, winners and special mentions – we are proud to be mentioned in your company,” said Macozoma.
