Blog

“Proves our financial health”

The roads agency’s first bond auction since April this year was a success despite prevailing market conditions, according to its Chief Financial Officer, Inge Mulder.

“We postponed our monthly bond auctions twice as we were awaiting the decision on the country’s sovereign credit rating by major rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor. Our prudent approach proved to be the right one as our return to market today yielded an oversubscribed auction by more than two times what we asked for,” she said.

A total of R600 million was allocated and all of it at mark-to-market:

• Hway34: R75 million @ 110bps
• Hway33: R525 million @ 63bps (CPI linked).

Mulder hailed the success of the auction as indicative of the confidence that investors have in SANRAL’s business and its going concerns, saying: “Our financials are healthy and the management of the entity is another factor that plays a big role in investor confidence. Investors are known for being prudent and focused on the long term, and this is why our bonds are a good investment.

“It is clear that policy certainty around the user-pay principle and our commitment to collect on e-toll debt is bearing fruit. We will continue to make every effort to collect to continue to prove to our investors and ratings agencies that we will do what is necessary to realise the potential e-toll income stream.”

Major construction work to completely overhaul the R573 Moloto Road will soon be undertaken by the South African National Roads (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) in August 2016. This was announced by Transport Minister Dipuo Peters during a sod-turning ceremony at Kwa-Mhlanga.

The Minister, together with top officials from the roads agency, visited the Nkangala District in Mpumalanga as part of an ongoing outreach programme to engage with stakeholders living along the Moloto Road. However, the engagement was an assurance by the Minister and SANRAL that real construction work to upgrade and modernise the road would commence in August this year.

The road, which has been dubbed the “road of death” due to the high number of accidents that have happened on it over the years, was incorporated into the SANRAL road network on 3 August 2015 by the Department of Transport. An amount of R1 billion was allocated for the upgrade over a three-year period.

The 160km stretch of the Moloto Road runs through the provinces of Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and is used by close to 60 000 commuters on a daily basis. The road has not been upgraded for many years and has had to cope with increasing traffic in recent years. Statistics taken from a period of 29 months – January 2012 to May 2014 – show that there were 489 crashes on Moloto Road, resulting in 158 fatalities and 594 serious injuries.

Speaking at the event, Ms Peters promised the community that once completed, the Moloto Road would become a symbol of more than just a safer road that enable its users to travel from one destination to another without being concerned about accidents or fatal injuries. She also said the road would also bring more economic activity to the district, enable small farmers to bring their produce to markets, be used as a route by tourists who want to visit game reserves and natural attractions in the region and facilitate the movement of people, products and services.

“I want to emphasise the fact that road projects undertaken by SANRAL across the country are always accompanied by opportunities for job creation and training that benefit the wider community. In the past financial year SANRAL allocated contracts to the value of more than R2.4-billion to emerging companies owned by black entrepreneurs, women, the youth and people with disabilities,” she said.

The Minister said the commencement of the project to upgrade the R573 was a clear demonstration of how the government had listened to the concerns raised by communities and road users about the safety of the road. “For a long time, the state of this road has been a blight on the region. The Moloto Road has become synonymous with road crashes, bus accidents, injuries, and deaths. It has robbed communities of breadwinners and beloved mothers. Parents had to stand at the open gravesites of their children. I know this all too well because as Minister of Transport I often attend the funerals of crash victims and have to respond to the unacceptable carnage on our country’s roads,” she said.

Touching on partnership agreements between the three different spheres of government, Peters said partnerships have been created between the Department of Transport, the provincial governments of Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo to realise commitments made in the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC). The Moloto Road project falls under Strategic Integrated Project 1, Unlocking the northern mineral belt with Waterberg as the catalyst.

Since incorporation, SANRAL has since started with a wide range of interventions in terms of road maintenance that includes the repairing of potholes, the cleaning of drains, the trimming of foliage on the side of the roads and the introduction of new road signs and line markings.

The modernisation of this road forms part of the Moloto Road Development Corridor, initiated by the government, which will also include the much-needed investment in passenger rail to offer commuters a safer, faster and more accessible connection between Mpumalanga and Gauteng.

Although the road will be upgraded to the same standard as other SANRAL national roads, it will not be tolled.

Fifteen-year-old Johntra  Persens from the Brandvlei Primary School in the Northern Cape was named  the winner in the category for grades 4-6  in the annual SANRAL ChekiCoast road safety art competition. The theme of the 2015 competition highlights the dangers of using mobile devices for pedestrians and drivers. Johntra’s painting portrays a colourful street scene, drawn in three dimensions, and show pedestrians and vehicles in different unsafe and dangerous situations.

The learner said he was very excited about his prize, a R5 000 voucher  “This is really awesome and I will definitely continue with my drawings. My parents are very proud and so am I with this achievement. I felt so honoured and on top of the world when I received my prize! Thank you SANRAL, you’re the best!!”

Johntra’s art teacher, Sandra Louw, says that he has great talent and she is very proud of him and will encourage him to continue developing it.Mr  Sybrand de Beer, headmaster of the Brandvlei Primary School says his school is grateful to SANRAL for its road safety initiative and the opportunity it has created for the school to help develop its learners.

Ms Imelda Julies, Project Manager at SANRAL in the Western Cape who presented Johntra with his prize, says the competition is just one of SANRAL’s many road safety initiatives – and this one is aimed at engaging pupils and students to help promote road safety through art. 

“The art competition is aimed at engaging the youth to express their thoughts about responsible road behaviour and using roads in the safest way possible.”

 

One of six children born to poor but loving parents in the town of Mokopane in rural Limpopo, John Rammutla knows what it’s like to grow up in difficult circumstances – but has never allowed this to hold him back.

The newly-qualified civil engineer, who is a Project Manager in Training at SANRAL, believes the youth of South Africa can bring about the change this country so desperately needs – and he is starting with himself.

John, 23, has just organised the second SANRAL-supported South African Youth Leadership Conference, in partnership with Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University student association, Believers Love World (BLW), to inspire the youth to contribute to socio-economic development in South Africa.

The conference, held at NMMU on May 23, was attended by nearly 500 Grade 12 learners from three township schools in Port Elizabeth and 130 NMMU students and working professionals, including SANRAL employees. The conference was also live-streamed to three other universities in the Eastern Cape – Fort Hare, Walter Sisulu and Rhodes.

It followed the highly successful inaugural conference he ran earlier this year in Limpopo, for 1300 university students and learners.

“I’m really passionate about South Africa and its development. As a nation, we have so much potential and talent. Someone has to go out there and exploit that talent and inspire people to act. This is my contribution – to inspire others to see themselves as critical instruments in bringing about social and economic development in South Africa.”

John believes there are two main issues affecting South Africa’s youth. The first is unemployment, and the second is alcohol and drug abuse. And it is these problems that lead to the majority of the country’s social problems, including rape, robbery and violent crimes.

Instead of looking to government for solutions, John believes young people should see what they can do, by becoming business or social entrepreneurs.

“I encourage the learners to start non-profit organisations (NPOs) to improve the lives of others. I encourage them to start their own businesses, to create jobs, and I give them the support they need to do this. Whether you are 16, 17, 19 or 20, you can start a business.”

Regarding the problem of alcohol and drug abuse, John says young people should set up organisations to help their peers. “It’s easier for a young person to listen to another young person. It’s more impactful than listening to a politician and the chances of success are greater.”

John said a lack of resources and being over-burdened by responsibilities were often used by the youth as excuses for apathy – but he believes they can achieve despite this, just as he did.

John himself has been a social entrepreneur since school. With a flair for maths and science, he and some classmates used to tutor learners from other schools, due to the shortage of maths and science teachers in the area. “In Grade 11, we were tutoring Grade 12 learners. That’s how passionate we were.”

Once they matriculated and went to university – John with a full bursary from SANRAL – the group wanted to continue to make a difference to Limpopo learners.

So they started an NPO called “Enlighters Edu-Solutions” and they expanded it to include career exhibitions. It continues to run to date.

This year, John started a second NPO, Hi-Africa, for the purpose of empowering the youth through national conferences and summits. His long-term vision is to run these events across Africa.

He is “truly, truly grateful” to work for a company that is deeply committed to developing communities and leaders, and encourages its employees to do the same. “SANRAL is wonderful. Allowing me to run this project and by sponsoring the events, shows SANRAL’s commitment towards nation building.”

John said what kept him going was his deep faith, those who support and mentor him and his passion to see the country’s youth mobilised to make a difference. “You have to be passionate about what you do, and you have to be committed – then you’ll know what to do. You’ll get ideas and you’ll be inspired to act on them.”

Dear All

I see that OUTA are now looking for between R80 and R200 per month for membership (see their application form). This gives me some serious reason to question the situation. Over 75% of frequent freeway users would pay less than R80 per month in tolls had they previously had a tag and now with or without a tag. So for most it would be cheaper to pay the tolls and sleep better not waiting for a summons. I trust that all those that are joining have read the OUTA terms and conditions. Basically they will only defend you if they have money. It does not take a maths degree to work out that only those expecting a summons are joining, therefore to cover everyone’s cost you will need to pay for your own legal cost plus the OUTA administration. So if you think sending a R50 donation or paying for a year until you get a summons has you covered, good luck.

So assuming that you are paying OUTA the same as what you would have paid SANRAL, will you ensure that OUTA will:
* Come to your assistance if you have an accident without you having to call them?
* Dispatch medical response to an accident, the first responders are on motorbikes to ensure they are there quickly?
* Remove broken down heavy vehicles to restore traffic flow as soon as possible?
* Keep drivers informed of travel times?
* Keep the lights on and pay for the electricity?
* Maintain the road pavement to improve riding quality?
* Plan and fund the much needed and overdue expansion of the freeway network?
Just another thought; the SANRAL Act legislates that toll revenue is dedicated to the toll road. Is there anything that ensures that your “e-toll defence” money is not being spent by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse going up against Eskom, remembering Clause 1 of OUTA’s T&Cs.
Makes you think, doesn’t it.

Night roadworks will take place this week on the Settlers interchange bridge, in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape over the coming week. On each occasion, the work will start at 7pm and continue through the night before the roads are re-opened again at 5am the following morning.

The South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL) would like to advise motorists that from tomorrow night (Monday, 22 May) up until Thursday night (26 May) at 7pmroad resurfacing will be done on the Settlers interchange bridge. There will be lane restrictions with dual lanes merging into a single traffic lane on the bridge.

There will be an access route and exit route via the intersection ramps and or bridges.

The roadworks will go ahead, weather permitting. There will be digital signs to caution motorist of ongoing roadworks taking place at night.

Reduced speed limits will be enforced.

“Motorists must be observant of all lane closures and warning signs, and exercise extreme caution when travelling through the construction work zones. Motorists are urged to plan their trips in advance or take alternative routes,” said Mbulelo Peterson, Sanral Southern Region regional manager.

SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Ltd (SANRAL) reminds road users that a section of the N1 freeway in Pretoria East from Rigel Avenue to the R21 Flying Saucer Interchange will be closed from 21h00 on Saturday 21 May until 09h00 on Sunday 22 May 2016. This closure is as a result of the scheduled demolition of the Erasmusrand Pedestrian bridge, which was severely damaged in 2015.

Concerns about the stability of the bridge resulted in its closure to pedestrians. SANRAL then immediately organised a temporary, safe alternative route for pedestrians and cyclists to make use of the adjacent Solomon Mahlangu Bridge. A contractor was appointed to install supporting infrastructure, to ensure that the bridge would remain stable. The bridge has been constantly monitored by a team of engineers appointed by SANRAL to ensure that it remained stable and that public safety was not compromised. Unfortunately, the engineers have determined that the bridge is too badly damaged to be repaired cost effectively, and now needs to be demolished to make way for the construction of a new bridge.

The purpose of the road closure is to ensure the safety of all road users during the demolition process.

The process will commence at 21h00 on Saturday 21 May, when 2 lanes of both the North- and Southbound lanes of the N1 will be partially closed for a period of 2 hours. This will allow the set-up of the lifting cranes. The freeway will then be totally closed in both directions from 23h00. It is anticipated that the full closure will need to continue until 07h00 on Sunday, 22 May, after which both carriageways will be partially opened (2 lanes will remain closed for 2 hours to allow de-establishment of the cranes) and normal traffic flow is expected to be re-established from 09h00.

To ensure proper traffic management and oversight, SANRAL will be supported by the Tshwane Metropolitan Police to assist with traffic flow on all affected intersections along the chosen detour. Road users are requested to fully co-operate with traffic officers to ensure a smooth and safe demolition process.

Traffic from the N1 will be diverted via the R21, Solomon Mahlangu Drive (M10) and the M9/R50 Delmas Road/Rigel Avenue roads. The entire detour route will be well sign-posted. As a safety precaution, all residents are advised to avoid the area in the vicinity of the bridge, as the activities associated with demolition of the bridge are regarded as high risk.

All road users, particularly heavily loaded vehicles and freight haulers are asked to avoid this route entirely during this period. Alternative routes such as the R21 and the N14 may be used to avoid this closure.

According to SANRAL Project Manager Alan Agaienz, the roads agency chose the best, safest and fastest demolition method, so as to minimise the potential impact on road users, the environment, neighbouring residents etc.

“We request residents in that area to be patient with SANRAL during this period and to not be alarmed when they hear occasional noise coming from the demolition site. SANRAL have appointed a highly skilled contractor who has carried out many similar demolition projects in the past, and we are confident that this intricate operation will proceed safely and successfully. The whole operation has been meticulously planned by our experienced engineers, and the safety of everyone has been our top priority during the planning process”, said Agaienz.

He said SANRAL chose to complete the demolition during an off-peak period on a weekend in order to have minimal impact on traffic flow, and also to ensure the safety of all road users.

SANRAL has notified residents who will be directly affected by the demolition.

Any questions related to this project may be directed pressoffice@nra.co.za or by calling 083 283 6089.

Night roadworks will take place this week on the Settlers interchange and Stanford Interchange Bridge, in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape over the coming week. On each occasion the work will start at 7pm and continue through the night before the roads are re-opened again at 5am the following morning.

The South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL) would like to advise motorists that from tonight (Monday, 16 May) at 7pm road resurfacing will be done on the Settlers interchange towards Grahamstown (M4 – N2). There will be lane restrictions with dual lanes merging into a single traffic lane on the bridge. There will be no ramp closures.

The work will take place from tonight (Monday May 16); Tuesday night (May 17) and again on Wednesday (May 18) from 7pm.

The roadworks will go ahead, weather permitting. There will be digital signs to caution motorist of ongoing roadworks taking place at night.

Reduced speed limits will be enforced.

There will also be road resurfacing on the Stanford interchange bridge. Single lane traffic restrictions will be implemented. This work will take place over six consecutive nights starting from tonight (Monday, May 16) until Saturday, May 21, with work starting at 7pm every day.

There will be an access route and exit route via the intersection ramps and or bridges.

“Motorists must be observant of all lane closures and warning signs, and exercise extreme caution when travelling through the construction work zones,” said Mbulelo Peterson, Sanral Southern Region regional manager.

The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) has noted the Automobile Association’s (AA) release seeking for numbers on the number of motorists who have taken up the 60% discount offer.

As the AA correctly points out, today (17 May) marks the end of the extended period for Gauteng motorists to pay their outstanding historic e-toll accounts at the reduced 60% discount offer.

“Surely then, common sense should tell us that the total figures that the AA is seeking for will only be known at the end of this extended period,” says Vusi Mona, spokesperson for SANRAL.

“Nonetheless, we can confirm that there are approximately 2.5 million vehicles using the e-toll network in Gauteng on a monthly basis. Of these, 1.45 million are currently registered or are regular payers of their e-tolls.”

During the initial 60% discount period, SANRAL received more than 600 000 enquiries – whether via the web or via inbound calls from members of the public. Of the 600 000, approximately 130 000 have paid or have made arrangements to pay.

Mona says: “We thank those who have done the right thing and paid. At last count a total of sum of R136 million in discounted total payments, as well as payment agreements for a further R123 million had been entered into. These figures will change once the numbers that came in during the extension have been taken into account.”

SANRAL as an agency of government must comply with requirements as stipulated in the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). It is therefore obliged to collect outstanding debts to government in terms thereof.

 “The e-toll network is more than just about payment – it offers a multitude benefits. Qualitative benefits as a result of improvements in travel conditions such as improved safety and comfort, and the security of knowing that there are eyes on the road to help you when you are in trouble. The network upgrades have led to property developments, which have been a catalyst for economic growth, job creation, and integrating people situated in the outskirts into urban spaces. The long-term impacts include encouraging trip sharing, discouraging urban sprawl, promote the use of public transport and discourage road usage during peak hours. This means less time spent on the road as a result of reduced traffic, giving people more time with their families,” concludes Mona.

The South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL) would like to notify travellers that a blasting operation is scheduled to take place between the Winburg Interchange and the Winburg Station on the N1 between km 85.220 and km 85.460 on Monday 16 May at approximately 4pm.

The N1 will be closed approximately between 3.30pm and 4.30pm. However, the blasting time may need to be adjusted depending on weather conditions on the day. If need be, a second notice with information of the new time will be made available.

Due to the close proximity of the blast site to the Winburg interchange, it will be necessary to close the Winburg interchange to all traffic during the blast operation.

However, steps will be taken to ensure that the N1 is closed for the shortest possible time.

Meanwhile, motorists can make use of the R30/R34 toll road between Glen Lyon and Kroonstad as an alternative route during the N1 closure.The patience and co-operation of motorists will be appreciated.

SANRAL apologises to the motoring public for any inconvenience caused and thanks them for their patience during road construction.

The Agency takes seriously its mandate from government to manage and maintain the national road network.

In so doing, the safety and wellbeing of road users and the communities in which it operates are paramount.