The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited’s CEO, Skhumbuzo Macozoma, is set to give the keynote address at The Southern African Transport Conference (SATC) this July.
During this address, Macozoma will unpack the various challenges associated with the improvement, management, and maintenance of the national road network.
The SATC is the continent’s premier transportation event. This year’s gathering, to be held from 10 to 13 July at the CSIR International Convention Centre,Pretoria, has an impressive line-up of international and local transport experts as speakers.
Solutions for South Africa
A combination of an academic and a practitioner conference, SATC is supported by both the South African Department of Transport (NDoT) and the US-based Transportation Research Board (TRB).
Now in its 36th year, SATC’s conference theme is “South African solutions to public transport challenges”.
Over 600 delegates are set to attend three days of plenary and breakaway seminars, where peer-reviewed research papers covering infrastructure, urban and rural transport planning, transport regulations, and multimodal networks, will be presented.
Also on the agenda are plenary sessions presented by Professor Yongli Xie, the dean of School of Highways, Chang’an University in Xi” An, China, and Nigel Hardy, who is the performance manager of Transport for London.
Professor James Maina, chairman of the SATC organising committee, said: “Transport forms the backbone of Africa’s economy as it connects nations and unites countries. Without sustainable solutions to move people and freight, economies stagnate which in turn adversely affects the entire continent.
“The conference aims to provide valuable insights into transport challenges so that we can begin to proactively address them.”
The conference has also served as a forum for discussion on the implementation of transport policy, strategy and technology applications for all aspects and modes of transportation.
Delegates for the SATC can register at www.satc.org.za and are currently eligible for the ‘Early Bird Special’, which ends Saturday, 10 June 2017.
For sponsorship and exhibition opportunities at the event, please visit www.satc.org.za
About a third of all schools in the country are located within 5km of the 22 203km national road network managed by SANRAL.
With pedestrians being the most vulnerable of road users in South Africa, the national roads agency has embarked on reducing the number of accidents involving pedestrians walking next to national roads.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is taking steps to curb the risk for at least 12.4-million pedestrians under the age of 24-years who walk to school daily and are at risk of being in an accident.
Randall Cable, SANRAL’s engineering manager for the Western Cape Region, said the number of pedestrian fatalities (approximately 40% of all road deaths in South Africa) are being addressed through a combination of activities by the agency:
Safer roads and the provision of infrastructure such as pedestrian bridges and sidewalks.
Greater awareness among other road users about the possible presence of pedestrians on or close to roads.
Education programmes in schools to make children mindful about road safety at an early age.
About a third of all schools in the country are located within 5km of the 22 203km national road network managed by SANRAL.
Train the trainers
The agency’s aim is to educate the 6.3-million learners who use these roads before and after school. Scientifically developed material will make them aware of dangers and how to avoid them.
Working closely with education authorities, SANRAL aims to “train the trainers” – getting the information to teachers and mobilising their support to impart the correct messages to their learners.
The material is incorporated into regular subjects at school – whether it is life skills or maths – and the educators have access to flip cards, posters and other teaching aids.
The behavioural research informs the content development based on the latest available research.
This initiative has already reached 1 940 schools and more than 14 000 teachers have received training and learning materials. The programme will continue to expand to benefit an increasing number of learners living in close proximity to the major highways.
Cable said: “Our primary goal is that this awareness leads to changed behaviour and our future efforts will increasingly be geared toward achieving this goal.”
The roads agency’s programme fits into the Safe Systems approach advocated by the United Nations (UN). South Africa is making a great contribution to the UN’s global Decade of Action on Road Safety, by sharing its research and experience in the field of education.
Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi believes more education and awareness is key to changing road-user behaviour and negative attitudes towards road safety.
Education and awareness campaigns play an important role in road safety but Transport Minister, Joe Maswanganyi, believes road safety should be every citizen’s responsibility.
Speaking at a panel discussion organised in partnership with radio station Power FM and other transport entities, minister Maswanganyi said statistics on the death toll on our roads during the most recent holiday season do not bode well for the country.
A panel of experts from the Department of Transport and civil society engaging on road safety at the at the Power FM road safety dialogue.
He said: “Because of that, we have taken a decision that road safety awareness programmes should not be seasonal.”
The minister added that as a participant of the United Nations’ Decade of Action, South Africa has endorsed the global undertaking to save up to five million lives and contribute to the prevention of up to 50-million serious injuries by 2020.
Investing in road infrastructure
Randall Cable, the engineering manager for operations at the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL), said countries that invest more in their road infrastructure have reduced fatalities on their national roads.
“South Africa has a good road infrastructure, and through the National Road Safety Strategy, that is yet to be approved by Cabinet, the country will be able to pull its resources together in curbing carnage on its national roads,” said Cable. “As SANRAL, through our mandate of maintaining and managing the national road network, we have demonstrated that infrastructure reduces the risk of serious injury when an accident happens on our highways.”
Touching on pedestrian safety, Cable said that infrastructure such as sidewalks can drastically reduce fatalities on freeways, which make up to 40% of deaths on the road.
SANRAL has also introduced road safety audits, making it mandatory for road authorities to be conscious about road safety on national roads.
The National Road Safety Strategy embodies the principles of the Safe Systems approach and the five pillars of the global plan, which are a guiding framework to improve road safety.
In accordance with the Decade of Action, these pillars remain consistent in the National Road Safety Strategy, namely road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users and post-crash response.
Gcina Sentletse, SANRAL Project Manager: Scholarships, said the scholarship becomes a channel to the university bursary programme for civil engineering.
The South African National Road Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) introduced the next generation of civil engineers to the world of engineering at the road agency’s schools induction programme in Bloemfontein.
Twenty learners from various secondary schools around the city were awarded SANRAL scholarships aimed at providing a pipeline of engineering skills that will be needed by the roads agency in the future.
The scholarship programme is for learners from grades 10 to 12 who perform specifically well in maths and science.
A channel to bursary programme
Gcina Sentletse, SANRAL’s project manager of scholarships, said the programme focuses on learners who perform in these specific subjects because it becomes a channel to the SANRAL university bursary programme for civil engineering. “We provide a full scholarship in terms of tuition, boarding, stationery, school uniforms and sports uniforms.
“We believe there are other aspects to a learner, not just academics, and some of them excel in sport too. The programme also provides money for extra lessons, especially with subjects like maths and science. We really want to help learners to uphold their high grades.”
Sentletse added that SANRAL was passionate about the youth and when the agency invested in training of young minds, it was not just for SANRAL, but also for South Africa.
More women
Rhona Erasmus, SANRAL’s project manager for bursaries, said they have seen more women taking part in the programme over the last few years, especially on a post-graduate level.
“The Eastern Region which includes the Free State, currently has 20 civil engineering students at graduate level of which seven are female. We are increasingly seeing young women getting interested in the field of civil engineering.”
Ntando Ngidi, SANRAL’s human resources professional, referred to Logashri Sewnarain, the Eastern Region’s regional manager, as one of the many SANRAL employees who had come through the bursary programme.
Karabo Utloa, a recipient of a SANRAL bursary, said she first came to know about the SANRAL bursary programme when her life orientation teacher handed out application forms in 2011.
“I went on to study engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand. For the next five years, I studied civil engineering without having to worry about any finances. My SANRAL bursary covered all my expenses.
“Last year was my final year. I am now following SANRAL’s Graduate Programme as a candidate civil engineer at SANRAL in North West. After four or five years in the Graduate Programme I will hopefully get registered as a professional engineer.”
Utloa said many students were aware of the financial demands of studying at university but with her SANRAL bursary she didn’t need to worry about anything. She said the bursary also gave her access to people in the industry who she could approach for mentorship.
“The mentorship gave my studies a kind of realism. SANRAL helped me organise some vacation work where I could get a real feel for the industry.
“They let you go on site and this gives you opportunities to speak to any of the consulting engineers. That helps you to get the actual picture of what engineering looks like.”
Fostering passion for engineering
Lizmary Alfirs, a traffic engineer specialising in geometrics at SMEC, spoke about how her passion for engineering came from her father.
“My father is a mechanical engineer. Hence I grew up in a house where my father was really into science and he also had a love for maths.
“He taught me a lot and cultivated the passion in me. When I had to choose a career, I thought engineering would make good use of subjects like maths and science which I like so much and could also be used in implementing infrastructure and improving people’s lives.”
Alfirs is currently working on a SANRAL project outside Bloemfontein, between Zandkraal and Winburg. She said the project involved the upgrading of 46km of an existing road to a dual carriageway. She is also working on SANRAL’s upgrade of the R75 in Port Elizabeth, where they are transforming an existing interchange to become a divergent diamond interchange.
The next generation
Louis James, a grade 12 learner from Grey College said he enjoyed accounting, maths and science.
“I am very interested in engineering and enjoy solving problems. I would be honoured to study civil or industrial engineering next year. Maybe one day I’ll work for a company like SANRAL.”
An inspired Lian Beyers, a grade 12 learner from Sentraal High School, said his favourite subjects are maths, science and IT.
“At this stage I hope to study either medicine or civil engineering at the North West University in Potchefstroom. The SANRAL bursary programme sounds most appealing, especially since I am interested in perhaps pursuing a career in engineering.”
Rele Tsoai, a grade 11 learner from Grey College said he was inspired by the various speakers and he will definitely consider civil engineering as a career after school.
Seipati Dlamini’s son, Thato, could not attend the induction programme so she attended on his behalf. Thato was already busy representing his school, St Joseph’s Christian Brothers’ College, in a bridge building competition.
She said before Thato found out about the SANRAL scholarship programme, he was talking about becoming a doctor. However, after reading up about engineering and educating himself on the programme and what SANRAL does, Thato now wants to become a civil engineer.
Judah Prins from St Andrew’s School said he loved maths and science and found the induction programme very inspiring.
Zané Prins from St Michaels School for Girls and her brother, Judah, from St Andrew’s School, are both taking part in the programme. Zané, who is in grade 11, said they both love maths and science and found the induction programme very inspiring.
Johan van Eck, a grade 12 pupil from Grey College, said: “After today’s talks I am even more convinced that I want to become a civil engineer.”
Johan van Eck, a grade 12 pupil from Grey College, said: “I am really interested in engineering and I have had the opportunity to shadow engineers on sites just to get a better feel for what civil engineering is all about.
“After today’s talks I am even more convinced that I want to become a civil engineer.”
The present water crisis in South Africa, and the possibility that it may be a long-term situation, has meant that new and innovative ways have to be found to build roads.
The Department of Water and Sanitation warned on 16 May 2017 that water levels are continuing to drop gradually despite the good rains that fell in some parts of the country. It urged all South Africans to use water sparingly.
The present water crisis in South Africa, and the possibility that it may be a long-term situation, has meant that new and innovative ways have to be found to build roads.
Water scarcity leads to delays in road construction and maintenance programmes.
Water-wise construction
To address this problem, the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is turning to water-wise construction, which means that the roads agency has to conserve water as well as use it efficiently.
Pierre Roux, engineering geologist at SANRAL, shares three ways in which this can be done:
The first is through water augmentation. South Africa is an arid country which has sufficient groundwater recharge from reasonable rainfall at certain times. Water sources, other than surface and ground water, need to be developed which includes, acid mine water, seawater desalination, groundwater augmentation, deep-seated shale gas fracking water, and deep-seated geothermal water.
Groundwater augmentation entails adding excess water into the ground using recharge boreholes. This water reaches the water table and is added to the groundwater reservoir. Groundwater is a renewable yet limited resource with a storage capacity that provides a large and extensive distribution of water supply.
Another method is to modify the components used in construction so that it uses minimal amounts of water. Some of these “problem materials” form holes when combined and used with other materials to construct roads. These holes allow water to fall through which results in wastage of the resource.
Through nanotechnology, it is possible to modify these problem materials by covering them with “mini rain coats” i.e. a layer of coating that allows these elements to be combined successfully. This ensures that these minerals will not form holes when used to construct roads.
Finally, there is desalination of seawater. “Osmosis” is defined as the natural process by which a high concentrated solution migrates towards a low concentrated solution. “Reverse osmosis” means taking the lower concentrated solution and concentrate it into a more concentrated solution.
The reverse osmosis cooling (ROC) process entails removing elements such as salts from seawater and AMD. The salt is removed using a semi-permeable membrane (a screen door that allows certain minerals to pass through while blocking others) using a high-pressure pump and electricity which removes 90% to 95% of the dissolved salts and leaves water safe for human consumption.
It can be successfully implemented in old mining and coastal areas with limited or no water for construction. It will ensure sustainable economic development, in risk metros and local municipalities, as well as feasible villages.
Nokubonga Madlala, 24, poses on the completed pedestrian walkway near Marburg. She recalled the many serious accidents on the stretch of road before construction began. “Once a truck lost control and hit a group of school children who were on the side of the road. Many children were killed and several were injured. The sidewalks and widening of the road have made a big difference.”
Pedestrian deaths on roads is a concern for The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) and safety is always a huge consideration in any project.
SANRAL has undertaken work between the Murchison and Marburg interchange in KwaZulu-Natal. It involved construction in two lanes to improve the capacity of the road, which carries high volumes of traffic, especially sugarcane and timber trucks.
Also, the concrete sidewalks, which were 1.6m-wide along the entire road, were found to be inadequate due to the high volume of pedestrians. New 2.3m-wide sidewalks were constructed with guardrails to offer protection from the traffic.
Taxi rank and bus facilities were provided at Murchison, while bus and taxi bays were also constructed along the road.
Dumisani Nkabinde, SANRAL’s eastern region project manager, said: “The existing Kwabhoboza intersection was very busy and the high speed of the vehicles travelling the N2 made the crossing extremely dangerous, not only for vehicle users but also pedestrians trying to cross at this intersection.
“The improvements at the interchange resulted in better walkways for pedestrians, improved safety for pedestrians and motorists and a reduction in accidents.”
Nkabinde added that these improvements were in keeping with the roads agency’s community development ethos, to ensure proper pedestrian facilities and safe access points for communities living along the national road network.
Happy pedestrians
SANRAL has been inundated with comments from happy pedestrians for a job well done.
Mpumelelo Ngwazi, said: “I definitely feel safer walking along a road with a proper sidewalk. There were many crashes on this road before it was widened and the sidewalks were constructed.”
Andile Bomvana, believes pedestrian lives will be much safer with the broader sidewalks.
“There used to be so many accidents involving pedestrians on this road, especially near Marburg. Now, even when there are crashes, at least the pedestrians will be safe, because the sidewalks are designated for us,” he said.
Zethu Majola, said the widening of the road and construction of the sidewalks made it safer children to walk to and from school.
“There has been a definite drop in crashes since the road was widened. We also have peace of mind knowing that our children are safe when they go to school,” said Majola.
Potholes found on secondary roads are the responsibility of provincial, district and local authorities.
Many motorists have a story to tell about damage caused to vehicles from driving over a pothole, and the extra expense arising from repairs.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) has a dedicated team of experts that travel along every kilometre of the country’s primary network, looking for any signs of pavement deterioration, especially potholes.
In the rare occasion that a pothole develops on the 22 203km road network, it is fixed within 48 hours.
Randall Cable, the engineering manager in SANRAL’s Western Region, said: “We are keenly aware of the dangers potholes pose to motorists travelling at cruising speeds on the freeway.
“This is why we place such a strong emphasis on preventative maintenance, to ensure our roads remain in great shape throughout the year.”
Drivers who hit a pothole at speeds in excess of 100km/h can easily lose control of their vehicles and cause serious crashes.
Divided sections
The 22 203km road network has been divided into 300km sections and teams move along it in one direction on alternate days, coming back on the same route.
During these journeys they conduct detailed inspections of the road surface, looking for tell-tale signs of a developing pothole. This task becomes especially important after heavy downpours, when the water might have damaged the asphalt.
The team also looks out for any other issue that might pose a hazard to road users, such as missing road signs or guardrails, debris left after a crash or a tyre burst, and the occasional dead animal.
Cable said: “The quicker you can identify a safety risk, the quicker you can make the correct intervention.”
Whose responsibility?
Whenever SANRAL takes over the responsibility for a road previously managed by a province, the first step is always to start routine maintenance – clearing blocked storm-water pipes and culverts, cutting back vegetation, clearing litter and debris from the road reserves and fixing road signs and markings.
Potholes found on secondary roads are the responsibility of provincial, district and local authorities.
However SANRAL does and is always willing to share its research, knowledge and expertise with such agencies as part of its broader efforts to promote all aspects of road safety in South Africa.
The majority of the pedestrian walkway is being constructed at the entrances to the towns of Qumbu and Mount Frere and other villages, with high pedestrian traffic.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is building a 20km walkway along the N2 from Mzeke to Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape, showing pedestrian safety remains a top priority for the company.
Through the initiative, SANRAL has also created work for 234 people from the Mhlontlo and Mzimvubu Local Municipalities.
The project’s value is approximately R35-million and the expected duration is about 18-months. Construction on the pedestrian walkways started in October 2016.
Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL southern region manager, said: “This project has changed the lives of the communities in many ways by providing skills development, employment opportunities, local SMME business development and local economic growth as well as training people to work on other projects.”
Project walkway
The pedestrian walkway is 1.8m wide along the 20km stretch of national road along the N2 section 19, between Qumbu and Mount Frere towns.
The majority of the pedestrian walkway is being constructed at the entrances to the towns of Qumbu and Mount Frere and other villages, with high pedestrian traffic.
According the Department of Transport, the Eastern Cape had the second highest number of pedestrian deaths in South Africa between 1 December 2015 to 11 January 2016
The death toll for the 2015/16 financial year was 278 in the Eastern Cape, with KwaZulu-Natal at 302.
An accredited skills programme
The training provided on the project includes a CETA Accredited Skills Programme for Construction to SMME company owners, supervisors and foremen.
Training includes the development of construction tender documents; workplace training, mentoring, and assessments of SMME contractors during construction. Retraining, final assessment and certification of SMME on completion of the skills programmes; and CIDB upgrades on completed of the works by SMME entities.
Peterson said: “The response from the community has been very positive. In order to achieve this high level of buy-in, SANRAL facilitated the introduction of the appointed service provider to the projects stakeholders and beneficiaries.
“The aim was to involve the community as much as possible. A Project Liaising Committee (PLC), which is the driver of the project at the community level, has been established.”
This PLC consist of the following local structures: Municipal representative, affected Ward Councillors, affected Traditional Leaders, Community Development Workers, Project Liaising Officer, Service Provider (Imbawula) and SANRAL.
Peterson said: “These representatives are the leaders of the community and the community respects its leaders. So, their involvement in the projects planning stage was a very strategic decision for the community to own the project. Communities respect the fact that the project was introduced to them by their community leaders and they see the sense of ownership from the leaders.
“The Project Liaising Committee sits every month to discuss project and community issues. The local labour employment was done through the community’s normal recruitment processes. So, the community is very happy for the projects and the participation level is very high. The proof of the communities support of the project is evident in the high level of performance from the people who are working on the projects as this is a labour intensive programme.”
Malahleha is not a newcomer to the national roads agency. In July 2010, he joined SANRAL as Administration and Project Manager, in which capacity he demonstrated his aptitude for managing complex projects.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) is consolidating its role as a leader in governance and strategy with the appointment of Thabiso Malahleha as Head of Strategy.
Malahleha will be a key advisor and report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of SANRAL, Skhumbuzo Macozoma.
Malahleha is a graduate of the universities of Natal, Cape Town and Stellenbosch, where he honed his skills in Finance and Economics.
He completed his Masters in Development Finance, focusing on Implementation of Open Road Tolling through the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, from the University of Stellenbosch Business School in 2011.
More open and responsive
Announcing the appointment, Macozoma said: “At this juncture in SANRAL’s history, Malahleha is the right person to assist in making the organisation a more open and responsive government entity.”
As Head of Strategy, Malahleha will ensure that SANRAL’s strategic and performance planning, reporting, measurement, analysis, assessment of progress and use of performance information will improve further on the results already achieved. His extensive and varied experience in the transport and built environments brings additional strength to the agency.
Commencing 1 May 2017, Malahleha will bring to the job his understanding of infrastructure finance and co-ordination gleaned from his stint as a director in the Integrated Infrastructure and Network Development Chief Directorate at the Department of Transport (DoT).
He has worked on numerous projects that speak directly to his suitability for this position, including the Winelands Toll Concession Project and a study on Direct Impact of Investment in Key Economic Transport Infrastructure during his 6-year tenure at the DoT.
Not a newcomer
Malahleha is not a newcomer to the national roads agency. In July 2010, he joined SANRAL as Administration and Project Manager, in which capacity he demonstrated his aptitude for managing complex projects.
As Head of Strategy, Malahleha will collaborate regularly with the Engineering Executive, Road Network Manager and Chief Financial Officer, on evaluating the efficiency of use of resources across all agency activities.
“I look forward to this challenge and being at the centre of the decisions and actions related to the long term performance and progress of the organization,” said Malahleha.
The crème de la crème of South Africa’s civil engineering students. Winners at the 2016 SAICE Awards.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) was the talk of the town at The South Africa Institute of Civil Engineering (SAICE) Transport Division’s awards recently.
These awards are a way of celebrating excellence in the transport engineering world. SANRAL was in more ways than one a prominent feature of the awards.
In his opening remarks, SAICE’s Transport Division Chairman, Robin Chetty said, “SANRAL plays an important role in the value chain of Transport Engineering, its role in enabling infrastructure development in the sector is pivotal in ensuring a sector that thrives and ensures that standards are held up and quality is continually improved”.
The President of SAICE, Sundran Naicker further underscored the immense importance that SANRAL plays in firstly, careers of Transport Engineers and generally in the civil works spheres as these relate to road works.
SANRAL CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma gave the key note address. The emphasis of his address was on growing SANRAL to be a 30 billion plus concern by 2030.
He said: “Central to this would be to attract, nurture and continually invest in human capital, research and development and transformation of the sector by ensuring vigorous and meaningful participation by SMME’s. Further to that, would be commercialising SANRAL’s expertise gained throughout the years and expanding its footprint in the continent and beyond.”
Highest honour of the day
Jacobus Johannes “Koos” Smit, Operations Executive at SANRAL received what was arguably the highest honour for the day, the Chairman’s Award.
The Chairman read a citation written by former SANRAL CEO Nazir Ali, which stated: “A life dedicated to excellence, diligence and service”.
Prior to his receiving of the award, speaker after speaker spoke glowingly of “Oom” Koos’ dedication and contribution to the field of engineering. Many were surprised that Koos resigned from the Department of Transport to join a yet to be incorporated SOC, SANRAL, this meant he had no position, salary and certainty. Koos is a beacon in the sector and was thus fittingly celebrated.
The awards attracted more than 250 attendees, quite a remarkable feat for a midweek midday event. This was testament to the importance these awards are to the sector and how peer recognition is a morale booster to these professionals.
