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MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL road maintenance projects bring joy of jobs and smooth roads to

Kroonstad this festive season

Free State, 12 December 2022 – Empowering women and young South Africans is a key focus of the Routine Road Management (RRM) projects run by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL). The projects create stimulating job opportunities for black-owned SMMEs, identified from within the areas of work, and specifically target groups such as women, youth, people with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups – in line with SANRAL’s transformation goals.

Through a plethora of development and engineering programmes, ordinary people receive invaluable training and skills transfer – which can then be paid forward to build better lives for themselves. RRM projects starting up in Kroonstad, in the Free State, were welcomed like Manna from heaven, especially with the festive season looming large. The rampant poverty in Kroonstad bears stark testament to the town’s staggering 65% unemployment rate. SANRAL’s interventions in Kroonstad, and the Free State at large, not only bring the joy of jobs to the province, but they also mean that the roads around Kroonstad, expected to be teeming with tourists driving the Lion Route this holiday season, will also be in excellent condition.

Civil engineer Youthful Sesele, 34, was recently awarded a maintenance contract to do RRM work on the N1 along the Kroonstad by-pass.

He employed 13 local people on the project: 10 men and 3 women. Of the 13 workers, 10 were young people. “I am from Mangaung; when I got the contract in the Fezile Dabi District, I decided to hire locals from the area so that they could fully benefit from the opportunity,” Sesele said. Sesele said he was impressed by how SANRAL engaged SMMEs, hosting several business engagement sessions to share information and provide the training needed to correctly bid for the subcontracting opportunities available on the RRM projects.

“This has been critical in ensuring the development of black-owned businesses, particularly those owned by women and youth, to participate meaningfully on

SANRAL projects,” said Sesele. He added that a key focus of engagements was documentation education: common errors when bidding included the submission of expired or non-compliant documents, work packages and work scopes. “Mostly, I was fascinated by the training and skills development for the appointed subcontractors, which included among other things, first-aid training and occupational health and safety.

“I know of no other company that will offer you such an opportunity and assist you with the training of your personnel in such ways – as a prerequisite of the contract,” said Sesele.

Nomutu Msibi, 37, of MJNJ Construction, who was recently a drainage and culvert cleaning and litter collection subcontract on the R34 between Kroonstad and Welkom, could barely contain her excitement. “I am proud that this project has helped me to create work for five people in an area where almost 65% of youth are unemployed. This project will uplift young people and create much-needed jobs.”

Deon Breytenbach of QTC Civils, the contracts manager on the Kroonstad project, broke down how the SMME engagements worked: “Business owners attended business management, tendering skills and financial management training. “This led to the creation of sustainable, capable and empowered road construction SMMEs and startups.” Breytenbach added the scope of work for the CIDB Grades 1 and 2 – entry-level work – included cleaning and maintaining of prefabricated culverts, concrete drains and channels, edge build-up removal, collection and removal of debris and litter, subsoil drain installation and maintenance, cleaning of waterway structures, erection and repair of permanent road traffic signs, concrete channel construction and maintenance of existing channels.

SANRAL’s SMME training programmes on three Kroonstad RRM projects empowered 12 local business owners of construction SMMEs and new startups (CIDB levels 1 – 3). SANRAL has appointed highly experienced and qualified training service providers tasked with training, mentoring and developing learner sub-contractors. SANRAL also prepared local labour forces for these SMMEs by training them and, in turn, helping create a local skilled and semi-skilled labour force for the three Kroonstad projects. SMMEs that employed their own labour from local communities were also supported as their labour forces received accredited training.

During the year under review SANRAL provided 1 684 SMMEs with work on construction, rehabilitation and maintenance projects across South Africa to the tune of R2,3 billion. The majority of black-owned SMMEs derived significant benefit from this, as they accounted for 88.05% of the contracts awarded and 89.6% of the value of the work performed.

Of the 9 129 jobs created in the reporting period, 6 647 were for men and 2 482 for women. A breakdown based on age reveals that 3 096 young men and 1 339 young women were beneficiaries. From a disability perspective, 62 people with disabilities were employed. In terms of SANRAL’s contract participation goals, the aim for targeted enterprises is 30%, which includes women and youth-owned businesses at 5% each, and the military veterans and people with disabilities each get 0,5%.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

Burman off-ramp closed in Gqeberha

 

Eastern Cape, 8 December 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) wishes to advise travellers that the Burman off-ramp in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) has been closed and will reopen on Thursday, 15 December 2022 at 3pm.

The off-ramp will be closed due to roadworks.

The alternative route for motorists coming from the N2 and the M4 would be Grahamstown Road via John Tallant interchange on the N2.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly and to use caution when making use of the roads. SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Regional Manager.

MEDIA STATEMENT
SANRAL to invest R1,2 billion in one of the poorest areas in South Africa

Eastern Cape, 29 November 2022 – Residents in Cedarville, in the Matatiele Municipality, have welcomed the R1.2-billion project by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited to upgrade the R56 road that links the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
The prospects of opportunities for jobs, learning new skills and earning a living have excited residents in villages around Matatiele. A total of R360-million would be ring-fenced and spent on local contractors, subcontractors and service providers, with an emphasis on women and youth.

Hundreds of community members gathered at Cedarville Multi-Purpose Sport Complex yesterday for the official introduction of the main contractor, Down Touch Investment, and to hear for themselves from SANRAL and other government officials how they would benefit from the project that has already been described as a “game changer” for the economy of the region.

Down Touch Investment, a South African company, was awarded the contract on 31 October 2022. The project entails rehabilitation, upgrading and widening the R56 from Matatiele to KwaZulu Natal border with Eastern Cape – a total of about 38 km.

Work on the project is expected to start in March 2023 and would run for three years and seven months. It is estimated that it would create more than 500 jobs and more than 100 local small and medium contractors will benefit from the project.
Both Cedarville and Matatiele are in the jurisdiction of the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, the smallest and one of the poorest districts in the province of Eastern Cape and the whole of South Africa.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula told the gathering that the project would create jobs, lead to upskilling of young people, women and people with disabilities.

Mbalula said everything would be put in place to ensure that legitimate local businesses were the main beneficiaries of the project.
His sentiments were echoed by Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, who said the local people have been yearning for such a huge project.

“This project is an important game-changer. This is one of the poorest areas in all of South Africa, yet it has so much potential. This area is our foremost agricultural industrial hub and we need to invest in the local infrastructure.

“We need to bring greener pastures here so that our youth will not go and languish in towns and cities to look for greener pastures. This is one of the projects that will bring greener pastures closer to our people,” Mabuyane said.
He urged local people to jealously guard this project from construction mafia who are intent at derailing the project for their own selfish interests. “This project must be on time and on budget,” he added.

James Luthuli, a councillor for Ward 26, said the road upgrade would lessen the high levels of accidents and they have been assured that SANRAL would build bridges so that people and livestock do not cross the road and disrupt traffic.
Clive Arries, SANRAL’s project manager for the R56 upgrade, said everything was done to ensure that local communities and local businesses associations were consulted and were on board throughout the course of the project.
He said once the upgrade has been completed, traffic would move smoothly.

“This is one of our biggest projects. I think it is long overdue. Back in 2015 we appointed consultants to design and make a drawing and other specifications. It took them about two years. In 2017 we were ready to advertise this contract. There were many other hiccups and later there was a delay because of COVID-19. The commencement date is in March but the contractor will be on site in late January and start consulting with other stakeholders and community members.

The managing director of Down Touch Investment, Michael Welsh, said his company was confident of delivering on the project on time and on budget.

“This is one of the most critical roads of the country and we understand the urgency of getting ready and on standard in time so that we minimise disruption of traffic.“We are going to be sourcing most of the workers from the local communities. It is only the specialist skills that we are going to be sourcing from elsewhere,” he said.

Mama Greta Mfene, a 64-year-old resident of Cedarville, said many people in her area were poor and unemployed. “Our people must benefit, our people must get job opportunities. There are many young people who are losing hope of getting employment. They end up doing drugs and alcohol and teenage girls end up getting pregnant. We hope that this project will change all of this because our youth will get job opportunities. Yanda Nkomo, a 28-year-old resident, said she has lived all her life in the area but has not seen any project that would employ locals.
“I hope that I will get a job here so that I can look after my child and also assist in supporting my family,” she said.

MEDIA STATEMENT

Africa’s record, South Africa’s pride: Mtentu Bridge will help local communities build mega dreams

Eastern Cape, 29 November 2022 – In four months, work will start on what is expected to be Africa’s tallest bridge, the Mtentu Bridge, which will run across the Mtentu River in Mbizana in the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Municipality, rising 223m into the Eastern Cape sky.

Introducing the contractor behind the mammoth construction project at an event on Monday, national Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula and officials from the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) spelt out to surrounding communities how more than R1-8-billlion of the total R4.05-billion cost had been ring-fenced for local SMMEs.

SANRAL awarded the tender to the Chinese Communications Construction Company (CCCC)-MECSA joint venture, after it was cancelled in May and re-advertised for fresh bidding. Construction is expected to start in March 2023, creating 2 500 full time equivalent jobs.

“Over R1.8-billion will be expended on targeted local enterprises. This will be derived from the subcontracting to be undertaken by the main contractor on the bridge structure, as well as the construction of associated roads.

“Three local community access roads will be built as labour, enhanced training programmes, and the local provincial gravel road network leading from the R61 will be improved and maintained in order to allow access to the site by the many vehicles and heavy freight required for construction,” the minister said.

Minister Mbalula was accompanied by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane.

Minister Mbalula said residents would benefit from jobs and skills transfer through the project. He said about R141m would be paid in salaries to local labour and small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) will benefit to the tune of about R1.8bn.
He said in addition to economic benefits, the Mtentu Bridge would also bring communities together.
“We appreciate communities for their commitment and willingness to work with government. I want to encourage all communities of the Wild Coast to embrace the
opportunities that come with government’s major infrastructure projects,” Mbalula added.

He said: “It prides me that we are gathered after having traversed a long journey to the reinstating of a contractor to this site.”
Premier Mabuyane urged communities to support the development which “is meant to change people’s lives and the socioeconomic conditions of our province”.

The premier said there would be many more opportunities in tourism and in the oceans’ economy once the bridge was built.
The Mtentu Bridge forms part of the N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project, which Is SANRAL’s flagship project in the Eastern Cape.

The N2WCR project comprises a 410km route running from the Gonubie Interchange in East London to the Mtamvuna River on the border of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, near Port Edward

The N2WCR is strategically positioned on the N2 route which connects four provinces: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga – running through the cities of Cape Town, George, Port Elizabeth, East London, Mthatha, Durban and Ermelo.

Minister Mbalula said the entire N2WCR project would create approximately 8 000 direct full-time jobs, with a wage bill of around R750-million and between 21 000 and 28 000 indirect jobs.

Mtentu is the second mega bridge on N2WCR plan and, together with the Msikaba Bridge, would form part of the 112 kilometres of new highway between Port St Johns and Port Edward.
Once complete, about seven interchanges and various access roads would ensure a faster and safer travel experience for local and international tourists around the Wild Coast.

Minister Mbalula said he was considering a request from the Eastern Cape provincial government for the Mtentu Bridge to be named after local political legend, Khumani Anderson Ganyile.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY

PHASE 1 REPAIRS TO THE N2 AMANZIMTOTI SET FOR COMPLETION JUST IN TIME BEFORE THE FESTIVE SEASON BEGINS

Pietermaritzburg, 2 December 2022 – Phase 1 repairs to restore mobility on the N2 Amanzimtoti northbound carriageway are set to be completed in the week commencing 5 December 2022, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

“The contract to fix the N2 Amanzimtoti is still out on tender. The repairs that are being completed in the week starting 5 December 2022 is temporary routine road maintenance (RRM) work to keep traffic flowing on both lanes of the northbound carriageway,” said Trevor Zumani, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager. The damage on the N2 Amanzimtoti occurred on 3 April 2022 and, while SANRAL was conducting in-depth investigations and preparing for the necessary designs and repairs to this failure, KwaZulu-Natal experienced floods from 11 to 13 April 2022, which resulted in minor and major failures throughout the network. “The completion of the works depend on good weather as delays will be encountered if it rains,” said Zumani.

SANRAL apologises for the inconvenience caused to motorists.

 

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

Postponed: Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

Eastern Cape, 1 December 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) wishes to advise travellers that controlled blasting, that was scheduled to take place today at the Breidbach Interchange on the N2 near King Williams Town, has been postponed.

The blast will now take place at 3pm on Monday, 5 December 2022.

The N2, between King Williams Town and East London and Welkom Street, will be closed for approximately 30 minutes.

The alternative route for motorists coming from the East London side is to take the R102 at the Berlin Interchange, and proceed through the Ilitha, Ndevana and Phakamisa townships to join the R346 to eQonce (formerly King Williams Town). The diversion is through Zwelitsha. Similarly, from eQonce to East London, motorists are advised to take the R346 towards Zwelitsha, and then the R102 towards Phakamisa, Ndevana and Ilitha townships, and then join the N2 at the Berlin Interchange.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly and to use caution when making use of the roads. SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Regional Manager.

SANRAL AND KZN GOVERNMENT STRIVE TO PAVE A SMOOTH ROAD
TO THE COAST FOR HOLIDAYMAKERS

KZN, 29 November 2022 – Holidaymakers preparing to join the annual pilgrimage down to KwaZulu-Natal can rest assured that the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) and the provincial government are working hard to ensure that the N3 to the coast runs smooth and safe this festive season.

The province recently launched its Integrated Safety Month and Festive Season Enforcement Campaign, which seeks to promote safety on the road and curb crime.
SANRAL is finishing up work at Town Hill (Peter Brown), on the N3 between Sanctuary and Link Road, to ensure that holiday traffic will flow smoothly come December.

KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube assured visitors to the province that their safety was the Zulu Kingdom’s number one priority and additional law enforcement officers would “be out in full force” to ensure holidaymakers have a memorable stay.
Dube-Ncube said KZN was expecting a very busy festive season and police had declared a zero-tolerance policy for motorists who violate rules of the road. “Deaths on our roads have reached crisis levels. One death is one too many,” said the premier.
SANRAL, National Traffic Police under RTMC, RTI, and other provincial and local roads authorities are working together to make our roads safer, hence many joint operations that involves all spheres of government.

SANRAL and KZN Department of Transport are also engaging with the freight and logistics industry because our roads cannot be turned into mass grave sites and places of untimely deaths. The ongoing engagements involve participation in CSI initiatives, as well as prioritizing law enforcement and visible policing, which ultimately result in behaviour change.

SANRAL had indicated that work at Town Hill will be wrapped up by the holiday so that the road is fully open, given the significant increase in traffic volumes during the festive holiday season.

Various measures were taken by SANRAL to ensure traffic safety during the construction period. Extra road signage and warnings were posted from as far as 2km away from the working zone, alerting motorists to the fact that only two lanes of the highway were open each way. CCTV cameras were installed, more flag persons were on duty and additional officers from the national, provincial and local traffic authorities added their efforts to SANRAL’s road safety initiatives.

Advanced, high-visibility warnings and speed-restriction signage, requiring heavy vehicles to travel not more than 40km/hr within the construction zone, was also part of the safety plan.

All heavy vehicles were compelled to undergo a stop before proceeding down the steep south-bound carriageway.
SANRAL began work on the project in March last year. Changes to procurement regulations and the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic had delayed the start of construction. The total repair costs are estimated around R340-million.
Thabiso Dladla, SANRAL Eastern Region project manager said SANRAL had employed safety measures on the Town Hill N3 project that go far beyond legal or contractual compliance. Dladla said the project had opened up many job opportunities for locals and skilled South Africans from across the country.

The project engaged specialist engineers, supervising engineers, road construction plant operators, expert road layers, technicians and other professionals and a host of general workers.

Nonhlanhla Mncwabe, a 28-year-old from iMbali township in Pietermaritzburg, said she was unemployed before the project gave her new hope. The mother of one was among a group of workers completing construction of a guard drain on the southern carriageway. She was engaged in cleaning and general work.

“I started working here in April last year and the money I make has allowed me not only to help put food on the table for my family, but I’ve also been able to extend our home, fix the roof and fence our family home,” she said.
Nokuthula Mkhize, 41, a flag person on the project, said she was initially fearful of being run over by big trucks on the N3 but soon got used to her job. “This job has allowed me to do many things for my family. I have been able to pay medical insurance for my eight-year-old son, who is epileptic, and also pay for his caregiver,” she said.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate
Blasting scheduled at Breidbach Interchange

Eastern Cape, 25 November 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) wishes to advise travellers that controlled blasting is scheduled to take place at the Breidbach Interchange on the N2 near King Williams Town at 3pm on Thursday, 1 December 2022.

The N2, between King Williams Town and East London and Welkom Street, will be closed for approximately 30 minutes.

The alternative route for motorists coming from the East London side is to take the R102 at the Berlin Interchange and proceed through the Ilitha, Ndevana and Phakamisa townships to join the R346 to eQonce (formerly King Williams Town). The diversion is through Zwelitsha. Similarly, from eQonce to East London, motorists are advised to take the R346 towards Zwelitsha and then take the R102 towards Phakamisa, Ndevana and Ilitha townships and then join the N2 at the Berlin Interchange.

“Motorists are requested to plan their trips accordingly and to use caution when making use of the roads. SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Regional Manager.

Media Release

Moneyweb Issues Apology

Following the cancellation of five tenders by the Board during May this year, the readvertising of the tenders, the appointment of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to evaluate those tenders and the subsequent award earlier this month, the media coverage has potentially caused anxiety among our staff.

Once news broke of the awards, media reports surfaced widely, but instead of lauding the conclusion of the process in a fair, open, transparent and timeous manner, the narrative focused on the award of the tenders to Chinese companies, over South African contenders. A further narrative soon emerged, to discredit the process and challenge the compliance/eligibility of the successful bidders, citing expired CIDB registrations and insufficient CIDB Grading.

SANRAL meticulously set out to correct the inaccuracies, responding directly to the fictitious allegations, with evidence of compliance on the part of the winning bidders.

This negative narrative was specifically perpetuated by Moneyweb, and following direct engagement by our legal team, as well as the evidence provided in multiple media releases, Moneyweb has just published an apology and retracted the incorrect information.

https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/companies-and-deals/apology-cscec-and-mecsa-comply-with-sanral-tender-requirements/

Indeed a victory for SANRAL, and we hope that this assuages any fears and anxiety that you may have had regarding the integrity of the process. SANRAL remains committed to getting South Africans working again.