Blog - Page 189 of 196 - SANRAL Stop Over

SANRAL gives back in Heuningvlei

5Aug2015

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On Monday, the 3rd of August, SANRAL donated learning materials to BaGa-lotlhare High School in Heuningvlei. The handover was officiated by Deputy Director General of Transport, Mr Chris Hlabisa.

The learning materials were donated by staff of SANRALs Western Region and Consulting Engineering Companies at their annual IMBIZO.

Mr Hlabisa welcomed the initiative of SANRAL in supporting learners in their foundation years and Mr Kobus van der Walt, SANRAL’s Western Regional Manager, spoke at the event to confirm that SANRAL has to date, granted bursaries at a cost of R11 m to 105 students and awarded scholarships to 172 learners to the value of about R2.3 m.

“Its intention is to demystify mathematics and science for learners in the early school years by raising their levels of understanding and changing their attitudes towards the subjects. This is done through integrating Family Math & Family Science activities into classrooms on a regular basis and adding them into the curriculum”

The danger of Moloto road will soon be over as SANRAL takes over

31Jul2015

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Moloto road runs north-eastwards from Pretoria, traverses three provinces and ends at the N11 near Marble Hall – but what makes this road so talked about is that it is one of South Africa’s most dangerous roads that has seen seventy deaths in the last two years.

SANRAL has now been advised to take-over this route, which means that there will be upgrades to the agency’s world-class standards, making the route a whole lot safer.

Upgrading will include, amongst others, improvements to bus bays, storm water drainage, passing and climbing lanes where necessary, the addition of a lane in both directions, the closure of unsafe and illegal accesses and improved sight distances.

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The road is used by 60 000 commuters daily and SANRAL’s intervention is a priority to save lives and make life easier for commuters, connect nearby rural villages to such an important artery and improve the economies of the regions.

The government has set aside R1.1 billion in the Budget for this project and will spread over the space of three years. Part of the project is the improvement of R573, which will not be tolled.

“I have in writing informed the Premiers of Limpopo, Gauteng and Mpumalanga that it will be part of a network of roads under SANRAL that is not tolled,” Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters

For more stories like these, find our By The Way publications here: http://bit.ly/1fB3Lay

The N7 gets a makeover

29Jul2015

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The N7 is a major economic artery that connects the Western Cape with the Northern Cape along the west coast. SANRAL is in the process of upgrading vast stretches of this major economic artery.

Derek Wilson is one of several project managers overseeing the improvement and construction projects. He is in charge of the section between Citrusdal and Cederberg – a distance of almost 27km. The total investment is about R450 million.

“The improvement of this part of the N7, which was originally constructed around 1957, was long overdue due to the increased volume of traffic and poor condition of the road surface.”

This section alone carries 3 000 vehicles per day, 20% of these being heavy vehicles transporting good between South Africa and Namibia.

Work on the project started in May 2012 and is expected to be completed by the end of next month.

The scope of the work includes widening the road from 7.4m to 12.4m and the provision of climbing lanes at various points along this very hilly route to provide safe passing opportunities on steep sections.

One of the challenges that contractors and SANRAL have faced during the time of reconstruction was to adhere to all environmental laws and regulations. For instance, they needed to identify and protect all endangered plant species along the route.

“Before any construction took place, the environmentalists had to carry out a ‘search and rescue’ operation on the fauna and flora.”

The road construction has had a positive impact on the communities along the N7. While the number of temporary jobs varies from month to month, there are currently 252 labourers from surrounding towns working on the project.

For more stories like these, find our By The Way publications here: http://bit.ly/1fB3Lay

Discover a treasure trove of South African history on the Platinum Highway

28Jul2015

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The N4 is a road paved with surprises and if your next road trip leads to the Platinum Highway be sure you discover the mysteries of this road.

Find old cities in ruin that were abandoned more than 200 years ago, thousands of male bullfrogs that live underneath the highway until they set off to find a mate and so much more along the N1 and N4.

Discover what the N1 and the N4 have in store for you in a book entitled “The Platinum Road” by journalist and editor, Peter Delmar. Sponsored by Bakwena, the project aims to bring historical value to road users on these roads and to promote tourism along roads usually unbeknown to tourists.

The book had great feedback and has since been turned into a mobile application narrated by Talk Radio 702’s, David O’ Sullivan. The application will take users on a journey of discovery across various landmarks on the Platinum Highway.

Each stop has an array of historically rich information and heritage that has shaped South African history. Users will find themselves travelling from Pretoria to Brits discovering a history filled with conflict and Voortrekkers, to areas between Rustenburg and Swartruggers, home to one of the wealthiest tribes in Africa.

Getting businesses on the road

21Jul2015

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SANRAL prides itself in its involvement in helping grow small businesses and employment, especially among the youth. The SANRAL incubator programme recruits and trains young graduates to help the youth realise their entrepreneurial potential and increase their level of skill.

Fika Mtwesi was able to realise her potential at the age of only 24 years old. As a civil engineer graduate, Mtwesi was looking for experience as an internship when she saw a recruitment ad for the incubator programme. She applied and joined the programme and was able to, through SANRAL’s guidance, established her very own company. SPAX Construction is one of the sub-contractors in one of the road access projects along the R61.

SANRAL aided in helping Fika create employment and her company has a steady 20 employees. This helps empower her community.

I am so grateful that the SANRAL team came up with the incubator programme and ensuring its success. The SANRAL Team has been by my side from the very beginning until now

Fika further states that the next step for her company is to introduce hands-on educational and training skills to create a practical and growing environment.

Where to next? Top 5 N2 must-stops

16Jul2015

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On the N2: elephants, cycads and unspoilt beauty.

For all those road trip lovers, wanderlusters and weekend travellers, here are the top 5 must-sees journeying on the N2.

In an alluring country such as South Africa, there is often too little time to explore the rich vastness of its beauty.But this can all change when you travel on the N2 through the Eastern Cape, discovering places often not heard of.

The N2 is part of the SANRAl network of roads around South Africa connecting major areas all around South Africa. The N2 is the longest numbered road in South Africa running from Cape Town through to KwaZulu-Natal and steering inward towards ending in Mpumalanga.

However, there is just too much for you to take in all at once, so we are making it easier for you by giving you the top 5 places to visit from the N2.

1. Addo Elephant National Park
Starting your drive in Port Elizabeth, driving towards Grahamstown, you can take the turnoff to elephant bliss. Besides having the opportunity to spot these majestic beasts, you also have the opportunity to see buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino, which makes this the perfect spot to indulge in your love for wildlife.

2. Shamwari Private Game Reserve
Again, you can indulge in your love for nature by exploring this reserves array of wildlife and plant life, whilst enjoying the luxury accommodation and spa facilities.

3. The Wild Coast
Continuing on the N2, you can drive through the Wild Coast, said to be one of the world’s most beautiful places. Targeting family vacationers, you can find family accommodation, unspoilt hills, flawless beaches and untamed wildlife. The perfect getaway is waiting just off the N2!

4. Qunu
In loving memory of the Father of South Africa, you can visit Qunu, the birthplace of Nelson Mandela. This is where Nelson Mandela lived before his active political career. This is also where Nelson Mandela was buried.

5. Silaka Nature Reserve
Near Port St Johns, lies this majestic forested valley just off the R61 from the N2. This is truly a vacation spot for rest, peace and quiet surrounded by forests, grasslands and a beautiful coastline.

Safe access for the St Barnabas hospital

14Jul2015

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A project focusing on road safety and community development nearby Mthatha and Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape is underway.

It involves the construction of a dual carriageway through the village of Ntlaza as well as the construction of community access roads.

Community access roads were needed when many access points onto the R61 were closed. Traffic was led through community access roads to intersections that met design guidelines. The area also required upgraded access to the St Barnabas regional hospital, as well as the Ntlaza taxi rank.

In order to get this project going, construction training was done with 10 local SMME contractors.

SMMEs concentrated on constructing the community access roads with a macadam pavement covered by asphalt.

The project began in August 2012 and was completed in June 2014. The project budget was R110 million of which R20 million was allocated to SMMEs for the work done on the community access roads.

Approximately R700 000 was spent on the training of the local SMMEs and a further R73 000 on the training of local community members. A total of 173 000 person hours of employment have been created with an amount of R7.2 million spent on wages and salaries for local community members.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics takes preference

13Jul2015

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Our partnership with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s has allowed for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Pipeline Project (STEM PP) programme to expand and deliver positive results.

STEM PP is designed to develop children to become extraordinary citizens of our country through learning experiences in physical science. The primary objective of the programme is to increase the amount of good grades done by the grade 12 learners to enable them to continue with tertiary training in engineering and science.

We support this programme by funding the bulk of the activities that take place at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Our goal is to prepare pupils for individual practical work and experiments, which will be of great value when they enter tertiary studies. We want to enhance understanding and comprehension of the theory taught at school, as well as expose learners to Information Communication Technology.

Science teachers in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan area are invited to participate in the initiative. They are introduced to methods on how to conduct experiments, which enhance learners’ confidence and ability to produce in the classrooms.

Schools are selected on the basis of a number of criteria. We focus on past academic achievements, enthusiasm among the teachers and see if the school has an interest in improving the performance of its learners.

Last year, learners were inspired to apply for our scholarships. Their applications were partnered with motivational letters and many learners who finished the programme qualified for scholarships in 2014.

Several of the students who participated in STEM PP over the past number of years have received bursaries to study engineering disciplines at various universities. Their success has confirmed the value of STEM PP and the ongoing quality of the relationship with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

University of the Free State ICT Labs

10Jul2015

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We are providing high school learners with the potential for hands-on experience in an exciting scientific environment.

The University of the Free State launched the e-Education in Science and Mathematics programme to encourage more learners to enter into science-related studies and careers.

The programme is in place at both the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa campuses of the University of the Free State and is able to operate because of the partnership between The School of Open Learning and us. We aim to support the learners in several ways, helping them get to the programme and making their marks available so they can track their successes and be noticed by bursary programmes.

During the three-year programme, learners are exposed to at least 30 sessions. Their efforts are noticed constantly as we aim to get them heavily involved each step of the way.

The sessions are designed to meet the needs of the technology driven “Y-generation” by using the advantages of Information Communication Technologies in their workflow.

We ensure they stay motivated by keeping energy levels high and enthusiasm in check by encouraging them to participate in events such as visits to the Boyden Astronomical Research Observatory near Bloemfontein and rocket building.

We expect all learners to attend all the ICT laboratory sessions and make a long-term commitment towards attending the further education and training phase of the programme.

Providing essential work experience with internships

9Jul2015

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We aim to equip engineering students with practical work experience by providing them with internships.

To offer them practical experience, we partner up with our contractors and consultants.

Sesethu Tywabi

Sesethu Tywabi was offered an internship while studying for her National Diploma in Civil Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

During the one-year internship, she was placed with two major companies working on construction projects on the N7, N1 and N12 roads.

She thinks it’s a great start to further one’s future career.

The knowledge she gained while working on these projects enabled her to achieve distinctions in a number of subjects when she returned to the university.

Christiaan Hendrik Hanekom

Determined to prove his capabilities in engineering and earn the respect of his peers, Christiaan Hendrik Hanekom believes his internship with us resulted in a world of opportunity and endless possibilities for him.

He said he embraced the opportunity to work for us as a very unique learning experience. He had to grasp things quickly without people having to repeat themselves.

The support system and team effort has motivated Hanekom to reach for the stars and climb high up the SANRAL ladder.

This is proof that hard work does pay and Hanekom has been offered a four-year contract with us.