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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

Lane closures to place concrete barriers between Westville Viaduct and Paradise Valley Interchange

Durban, 21 November 2023 – The N3 between Westville Viaduct and Paradise Valley Interchange will have fast lane closures from 30 November to 12 December 2023, between 20h00 and 04h30. This is to facilitate the placing of concrete barriers during the infrastructure upgrades on this section of the road, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

“The lane closures will take place in both the East and West bound fast lanes of the N3 between Westville Viaduct (Pavilion Mall) and Paradise Valley Interchange (N3/M13 split). The Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), with the assistance of the contractor’s traffic accommodation team will manage and monitor the traffic during this period” said Andrew Ssekayita, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

Motorists are urged to be patient during the lane closure periods and to plan and adjust their routes accordingly, thereby ensuring that they arrive at their destinations on time, while adhering to sign-posted speed limits.

“SANRAL apologises to road users for any inconvenience caused during the road closure. Attempts have been made to minimise disruptions as far as possible and closures have been restricted to hours when traffic is at its lowest level” said Ssekayita.

 

MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL remains committed to cut the construction cake more equitably

Pretoria, 19 November 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has assured its stakeholders that its commitment to expediting wealth-creation among black business in South Africa has not dwindled and that every effort will be made to cut the construction cake more equitably.

SANRAL recently hosted the last of a countrywide series of engagements to consult stakeholders on its proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP). The consultation engagements started in Cape Town on 31 October and concluded in Pretoria on Friday, 17 November 2023.

Stakeholders also gathered at satellite venues in Ngwenya Lodge, Klerksdorp, and King’s Palace, Rustenburg in the North West, both of which were linked virtually to SANRAL’s head office in Pretoria.
The primary objective of the PPP roadshow is to inform stakeholders of the reasons for the SANRAL Board’s withdrawal of the Preferential Procurement Policy, which was adopted in May 2023, and to consult interested and affected parties on the proposed Interim PPP. This will be used to adjudicate tenders until such time as a final policy is adopted.

Addressing the final meeting, SANRAL Chief Executive Officer, Mr Reginald Demana, said the roads agency hopes to conclude the Interim PPP in the next few days so that work can be put out to market.

“Our plan is that hopefully by the end of next week we will have consolidated all comment and input to conclude the interim policy. We are working hard, in parallel with our teams, to make sure we are able to get adverts into the market this year still,” he said.

Issues raised by stakeholders included project participation opportunities for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), the need for more aggressive transformation of the construction industry, concerns about the prevalence of the so-called construction mafia and other organised crime formations, as well as skills development and training to allow SMMEs increased access to developmental opportunities.

Mr Demana acknowledged that transformation continued to be a very contentious issue in the country, especially considering that the economy was not growing, which meant that economic opportunities were limited, and therefore competition for those limited opportunities was very high.

“Those who are already in the sector have built up their businesses and are doing very well, declaring massive dividends and making their shareholders very happy. But those who want to enter the sector, who see an opportunity and want to come in to participate are finding it hard. It’s a difficult balancing act but one which we cannot afford not to address head on, otherwise the sector will end up in trouble,” said Demana.

SANRAL spokesman Vusi Mona says the deadline for written comments has been extended until Tuesday (21 November 2023).
“SANRAL wants to encourage all interested and affected parties to submit written comments via the email address commentsppp@sanral.co.za by 12H00 midday on Tuesday 21 November 2023. The proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) has been open for comment for the last three (3) weeks, starting on 31 October 2023. The document can be found on SANRAL’s website (www.nra.co.za) and various social media platforms,” said Mr Mona.

 

SANRAL EXTENDS PERIOD FOR COMMENTS ON DRAFT INTERIM PREFERENTIAL PROCUREMENT POLICY (PPP) TO CLOSE AT 12H00 MIDDAY ON TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2023

Pretoria, 17 November 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) has announced an extension of the deadline for written comments on its draft Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP). The national roads agency has been consulting interested and affected parties about its proposed PPP through a national roadshow to all provinces and also invited the public to submit written comments.

SANRAL spokesman Vusi Mona says the deadline for written comments has been extended until next Tuesday due to a technical glitch. “SANRAL wants to further encourage all interested and affected parties to submit written comments via the email address commentsppp@sanral.co.za by 12H00 midday on Tuesday, 21 November 2023. The proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) has been open for comment for the last three (3) weeks, starting on 31 October 2023 and we are now extending the deadline for written comments until next Tuesday. The document can be found on SANRAL’s website (www.nra.co.za) and various social media platforms,” said Mr Mona.

SANRAL started with its PPP consultation roadshow in the Western Cape and Northern Cape on 31 October 2023 and proceeded to host consultations in the Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The final consultations took place in Gauteng and North West today, Friday 17 November 2023.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY
Road closures due to N2 KwaMashu to eMdloti upgrades

Durban, 17 November 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced a road closure on the N2 between the KwaMashu and Mount Edgecombe Interchanges, on Sunday 26 November 2023, between 04h00 and 11h00. This is to allow the removal of two overhead sign gantries on the northbound carriageway. The southbound carriageway will not be affected.
“This operation forms part of the current upgrade of the N2, between the KwaMashu Interchange and the Umdloti River Bridge, to significantly improve the capacity of the highway over the project length. The overall result will be a total of five lanes in each direction between the KwaMashu and Mount Edgecombe Interchanges. Thereafter, four lanes in each direction up to the eMdloti Interchange. The existing northbound and southbound ramps at the Mount Edgecombe Interchange will be tied into the current arrangement,” said Trevor Zumani, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

As a requirement for the safety of both road users and the construction team, full traffic accommodation plans are in place. Motorists using this section of the N2 will notice that signage, barriers and traffic calming are currently being installed.

“It is recommended that trucks and heavy vehicle operators try to delay their trips over this period and/or find suitable staging areas to avoid major congestion. Public transport operators are asked to ensure that their drivers are aware of the closure and of the alternative routes to be used over the seven-hour period. Light motor vehicle users, emergency services and traffic controllers are advised to consider alternative routes,” said Zumani.

Motorists are urged to exercise patience while driving through the alternative routes and to plan and adjust their route trips ahead of time.

“SANRAL apologises to the motoring public for the short-term inconvenience caused during this necessary road upgrade. We appeal to road users to plan their trips accordingly, especially when accessing travel hubs such as the airports. Every effort is made to minimise disturbances as far as possible and closures have been restricted to hours when traffic is at its lowest level,” said Zumani.

Alternative Routes:
• The preferred (red) detour will take motorists off the N2 at the KwaMashu Interchange, then travel approximately 1km westwards along the KwaMashu Highway, up the ramp and onto the R102. All detours will be well marked with sufficient flagmen and signs to keep motorists on the route.
• Three (3) other alternative routes have been identified on the approach to the closure.
• The preferred (red) detour route and the three other routes as well as the road directions are provided in Figures 1, 2 and 3 below.
• Sign boards directing traffic to alternate routes will be erected at the various off-ramps.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY

Bridge repairs along the R75 near Kariega

Eastern Cape, 17 November 2023: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) wishes to notify travellers that bridge repairs will begin on the R75 near Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) starting today, Friday (17 November).

The road between Botha Street and Union Ave northbound will be closed from today (Friday 17 November 2023) until Monday, 11 December 2023.

“The road will be closed to allow for the replacement of bridge bearings,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Regional Manager.

Traffic will be diverted off the R75 at the Botha Street off-ramp at Despatch and directed to proceed via Algoa Road (R368) to Kariega and rejoin the R75 at the Union Street on-ramp.

Temporary information sign boards and all other speed limiting temporary signs for the closure will be placed along the construction zone.

The contractor’s traffic safety officer and a safety officer will be present for the full duration of this activity. Flag personnel will be in place in various locations along the R75 only.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly, consider alternative routes and use caution when making use of the roads,” said Peterson.

SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused.

MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL Project Manager takes over the reins as President of the South African Road Federation (SARF)

KwaZulu-Natal, 16 November 2023 – The new President of the South African Road Federation (SARF), Mirriam Mosia, says continuous professional development of South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) engineers is key to ensuring unparalleled excellence in the delivery of complex engineering projects. Mosia was today inaugurated as the new President of SARF at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Durban.

SARF, currently in its 73rd year of operation, is an industry body committed to the development of effective and efficient road systems in South Africa and strives for economic growth in the sector through education and training.
The Federation facilitates ongoing dialogue between South Africa’s road industry sectors and contributes to the development of South Africa’s knowledge economy through knowledge sharing, skills transfer and innovation.

“This is a big moment for me. The culmination of not only years of studying and working on major construction projects, but also a journey I have walked in pursuit of excellence in our profession, through mentoring, peer evaluation and benchmarking against global best practice. I want to use my position as President of SARF to elevate the voice of SARF beyond geographic borders. On a personal level, the mentoring of young engineers that join SARF is very close to my heart,” said Mosia, shortly after taking the reins from the outgoing President, Vusi Tshabangu.

SANRAL is a member of SARF and regularly uses this platform to workshop new policies or technical specifications with the industry.
“My presence at SARF is a constant reminder to other members (consulting engineering and construction companies, concessionaires, and road authorities at all levels) that SANRAL is actively involved in the industry and is committed to meaningful engagement with industry stakeholders. More importantly, as infrastructure development is set to drive economic recovery in our country, I will be actively spearheading the roll-out of a training programme that SANRAL developed with SARF, for skills development in the Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) space. This is the easiest area of accessing the sector and every effort must be made to upskill emerging contractors coming into this arena.”

Mosia explained that she has been involved with SARF for the past eight years. “I started being involved with the SARF Executive Committee in 2018, when I was nominated and voted in as Honorary Treasurer.

“Every two years thereafter, I got nominated and voted up the ranks, until I became Deputy President for the 2021–2022 cycle where I had the opportunity to weigh in on important policies and overall operations,” she said.

She recalls how a Grade 11 school trip was the defining moment when she knew exactly where her career would go. “When we travelled through the Huguenot Tunnel and surrounding mountain passes in the Western Cape, I just knew that I wanted to be an engineer that constructs such beautiful tunnels, bridges and roadways. My application to the university had Civil Engineering only – no second or third options. Roads found me,” said Mosia.

SANRAL’s recognition for its contribution to SARF’s work was further amplified when Southern Region Project Manager, Marlize Nel-Verwey, received the 2023 President’s Award for her work done on Community Development projects.
Outgoing President Vusi Tshabangu lauded Marlize’s passion for helping the less fortunate through her work, research topics and presentations over the years.

“She may not have built the road, but helped develop a vehicle that significantly improved the lives of emerging contractors in the Eastern Cape and across South Africa,” said Tshabangu.

Gracefully accepting the award, Nel-Verwey said: “I am just a representative of a huge team within SANRAL working very hard to promote labour intensive projects and the use of SMMEs in delivering our projects to the benefit of all road users. I am a servant. My role is to serve my company, serve the community and the people of
South Africa. My approach? Block out the noise and focus on the impact of your work on humanity”.

While November is known as Men’s Month, it is ironic that these two phenomenal women are flying the flag for engineering excellence, particularly also as SANRAL celebrates 25 years of delivering iconic road infrastructure in South Africa.

“We could not be more proud of Ms Mosia for this achievement as she now leads SARF, while still delivering excellence on the multiple projects that she is responsible for in our Northern Region,” said Vusi Mona, SANRAL’s General Manager for Communications and Marketing.

MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL WELCOMES COURT RULING IN FAVOUR OF SANRAL AGAINST OUTA

Pretoria, 14 November 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) welcomes the Gauteng High Court’s decision to dismiss with costs an application by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) for access to information.

OUTA had approached the court with an application to force SANRAL, in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), to give OUTA documents related to a tender awarded to N3TC, a private company which won a contract for the construction and management of a portion of the N3 highway between Heildelberg South in Gauteng and Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal.
Judge Anthony Millar heard the matter on 10 October 2023 and handed down his judgment today, 14 November 2023.
In refusing the application, Judge Millar noted that despite OUTA’s application for access to the main contract, the organisation did not disclose to the court that the document it sought was apparently already publicly available.

The court was unequivocal in rejecting the application stating that “OUTA inexplicably failed to place before the Court, when it was clearly able to do so, the main agreement or portions thereof that it had in its possession”.

In rejecting OUTA’s application for documentation from SANRAL that related to contracts entered into between N3TC and third parties, the court found that SANRAL does not have these document in its possession and that “in any event, those contracts are private contracts entered into between N3TC and other parties. SANRAL is not party to those private contracts.
“PAIA does not require that the party from whom information is requested must embark upon a process to obtain information or documents that are not already in their possession,” the court noted.

The court noted that Section 36 of the Act makes clear that SANRAL should refuse access if N3TC does not agree to it being provided to OUTA in circumstances where the information was commercially sensitive. The court added that Section 36(1) of PAIA provides that access to a record must be refused if it contains (b) financial, commercial, scientific or technical information, other than trade secrets, of a third party, the disclosure of which would be likely to cause harm to the commercial or financial interests of that third party.

In refusing OUTA’s public interest override as contained in Section 46 of PAIA, the court stated: “The main contract for which SANRAL issued and awarded a tender was already a public document by the time the present proceedings were brought. Having found that OUTA already had the main contract or at least substantial portions of it, it is apparent that the present application has nothing to do with the award of that contract.

“The present case concerns the implementation of the contract. It was neither argued nor was any case made out that N3TC had failed to comply with its obligations in terms of the main agreement and to deliver that for which it had been contracted.
“The making of profit, in a private company, is an everyday commercial consequence and is not in and of itself a matter which requires disclosure in the public interest.

“For the reasons set out above, I find that the public interest override finds no application in respect of the disputed documents and accordingly the application fails,” said Judge Millar.

Vusi Mona, SANRAL’s General Manager for Communications and Marketing welcomed the judgment, saying the court’s findings rejected the notion that the roads agency was involved in any nefarious activity. “The perception created in the public mind by OUTA has now been firmly rejected by the court and it should be a lesson to those who are making unfounded allegations against SANRAL. We have been vindicated,” said Mr Mona.

“As a State-Owned Entity, we follow all the prescripts of the law related to the disclosure of information. Such allegations create unnecessary speculation and negativity, which in turn has a negative impact on SANRAL’s reputation. We are pleased that the court has now pronounced decisively on these baseless attempts to impugn the reputation of SANRAL,” added Mr Mona.

MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL takes public consultation on proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy to the Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape, 13 November 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) continued its series of public consultations on a proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) in the Eastern Cape on Monday.

The main session for the Eastern Cape was held at the SANRAL regional office in Gqeberha with other participants linking in virtually from a satellite venue at the Mayfair Hotel in Mthatha.

The sessions were attended by business and industry bodies, including the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NAFCOC), South African Women in Construction (SAWIC), African Chamber of Business (ACOB), King Sabata Dalindyebo Business Council, as well as small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and, interested and affected parties.

“Transformation is the core of SANRAL’s operating model. It has become that social compact that binds us with the stakeholders where we operate. It has become a social licence for us to operate,” said the Chief Executive Officer of SANRAL, Reginald Demana.

“The cake is big enough to accommodate all of us. So there really shouldn’t be any fighting. We need to find a balance in how we work. We believe in transforming lives and leaving people better off than we found them,” said Demana.

Demana said the roads agency would soon launch a contractor development programme and a black industrialist scheme. These are aimed at capacitating emerging enterprises to enable accelerated growth and to promote their meaningful participation in the construction sector.

SANRAL’s acting Transformation Manager, Tshegare Moletsane, said the roads agency would in the next financial year implement a training and mentorship incubation programme targeting business graded 5CE to 7CE.

“SANRAL is resolute in its intent to ensure targeted enterprises which include black-owned businesses – particularly those owned by women, youth, military veterans and people with disabilities – become meaningful participants in projects and become black industrialists,” said SANRAL Regional Manager, Mbulelo Peterson.

Demana said the Board’s decision to withdraw SANRAL’s new Preferential Procurement Policy was a difficult but bold one made in the interest of service delivery.

“We want to process the public’s input by end of next week and finalise the interim policy to go out to tender with new contracts by end of November,” he explained.

“We do have differences, but we must have differences that are productive and progressive. I plead with the industry that, in the interest of the country, we must find constructive ways of engaging,” said Demana.

Stakeholders commended SANRAL for its transformation efforts and expressed their full support for the procurement policy.

“We are tired of the 30% subcontracting, we need 50% subcontracting to SMMEs,” said Luvuyo Popo, president of ACOB.

Chairperson of SAWIC in the Eastern Cape, Nomfanelo Bojana, said they were fully behind the procurement policy and would want to see the 30% stake being increased and SANRAL assisting women-owned SMMEs with access to markets.

“SANRAL must train us in ISO standards to enable us to bid alongside the big players. We also need more opportunities for women in construction,” she said.

SANRAL was urged to reserve routine maintenance contracts for emerging contractors as the big companies were already dominating conventional projects. There were proposals to intensify construction training for emerging contractors and to address the prevailing exploitation of emerging contractors by the main contractors on site.

Demana said the Public Procurement Bill before Parliament – the purpose of which is to create a single piece of national legislation that regulates public procurement, including preferential procurement – would impact what SANRAL’s long-term procurement policy would look like.

The proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) is open for comment until 17 November 2023. The document can be found on SANRAL’s website (www.nra.co.za) and on various social media platforms.

Embedded within the policy document is an email address (commentsppp@nra.co.za) to enable stakeholders to submit their comments.

 

MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL takes public consultation on proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy to the Free State

Mangaung, 12 November 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) on Friday, 10 November 2023, hosted the third in a series of public consultations on a proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) in Free State.
The main session was held at the Mangaung Metro Municipality Hall with participants, who were linked virtually, also gathered at satellite venues in Matjhabeng and Smithfield.

SANRAL’s Chief Legal, Risk and Compliance Officer, Kaiser Khoza, and Regional Manager for the Eastern Region, Dumisani Nkabinde, as well as other interested and affected parties engaged with local construction stakeholders and various interested parties on the proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) and related matters.

“Transformation underpins South Africa’s democracy and previously disadvantaged black South Africans are running out of patience following years of being on the economic periphery picking up crumbs from SANRAL projects,” said Khoza.
He appealed to all stakeholders in the construction sector to engage with the issues surrounding transformation to allow them to make meaningful input into the new PPP.

Acting Transformation Manager, Tshegare Moletsane, underscored SANRAL’s unwavering resolve to entrench transformation in its operations with the aim of accelerating the development and growth of SMMEs.

“SANRAL is in the process of designing a contractor development programme aimed at ensuring targeted enterprises – which includes black-owned SMMEs and enterprises owned by women youth, military veterans and people with disabilities – are progressively advancing in their Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) grading, ensuring that designated enterprises participate more meaningfully in SANRAL projects,” said Moletsane.

SMMEs in attendance unanimously supported SANRAL’s resolve to deliver a more progressive final PPP in the not-so-distant future. However, an appeal was made for the agency to consider more consultation with black SMMEs so that the
beneficiaries fully understand the policy aimed at improving their lives. SMMEs implored SANRAL to involve organised black business structures for support before court challenges.

In his closing remarks, Khoza said the seemingly perpetual riches of the previously advantaged companies in South Africa was not sustainable amid a sea of poverty.

The proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) is open for comment for three (3) weeks until 17 November 2023. The document can be found on SANRAL’s website (www.nra.co.za) and various social media platforms.

Embedded within the policy document is an email address (commentsppp@nra.co.za) to enable stakeholders to submit their comments.

MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL HOSTS FURTHER PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ON INTERIM PREFERENTIAL PROCUREMENT POLICY

Pretoria, 10 November 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) will host further public consultations on a proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) from Monday 13 November 2023 until 17 November 2023.
The stakeholder engagements will take place in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North-West and form part of SANRAL’s national roadshow of consultations with interested and affected parties on the proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy.

The consultations follow SANRAL’s announcement on 24 October 2023 of the withdrawal of its new Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) which the SANRAL Board had adopted in May 2023.

The decision to withdraw the new PPP was taken by the Board on 23 October 2023 after careful consideration of the legal challenges to the policy launched by construction companies in various courts across the country.

These legal challenges would have prevented SANRAL from processing some 80 tenders worth billions of Rands, with significant negative consequences for the fulfilment of the roads agency’s constitutional and statutory mandate.
The last round of public consultation engagements will take place as follows:

Eastern Cape: Monday, 13 November 2023 at 12h00. The main venue will be the SANRAL regional office in Gqeberha and the satellite venue is the Mayfair Hotel in Mthatha.

Limpopo and Mpumalanga: Wednesday, 15 November 2023 at 09h00. The main venue will be Bolivia Lodge in Polokwane and the satellite venues are Kingdoms Lodge in Groblersdal, Nutting House Lodge in Nelspruit and McBest Guesthouse in Ermelo.

Gauteng and North-West: Friday, 17 November 2023 at 12h00. The main venue will be SANRAL’s Head office in Pretoria and the satellite venues are Ngwenya Lodge in Klerksdorp and Kings Palace in Rustenburg.

SANRAL urges all interested and affected stakeholders to participate in this consultative process to facilitate a speedy resolution to any potential obstacles that would delay the roads agency from meeting its mandate to build and maintain the country’s road infrastructure network and pursue its transformation objectives.

Last week SANRAL concluded public consultation sessions in the Western Cape and Northern Cape on 31 October, KwaZulu Natal on 8 November and the Free State on 10 November.

For further information please contact: Buli Mgojo on 078 007 5787 or Hendrik Tolomo on 067 410 4329 or Siya Khuzwayo on 083 260 3555 or email sanral@fticonsulting.com