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Gauteng, 17 February 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has noted the public interest and commentary on potholes and the Vala Zonke campaign.

The National Department of Transport (NDOT) launched the national campaign to fix potholes, dubbed Operation Vala Zonke, on 8 August 2022, with a call for a joint effort by the nine (9) provinces and all 278 municipalities, comprising eight (8) metropolitan, 44 district and 226 local municipalities.

The NDOT also called on the private sector and the public to assist in eradicating potholes on South Africa’s roads. SANRAL was appointed as the coordinating agency to drive the campaign, which included the harmonisation of all data and information on potholes and providing the technology and technical knowledge to ensure quality delivery on the campaign.

SANRAL launched the SANRAL Pothole App for the public to be able to report potholes easily. Some 51,271 citizens have downloaded the free App – available on IOS and Android phones – and reported some 26,699 potholes. The Pothole App allows for the user to take a picture of the pothole, while the system automatically records the GPS location, eventually sending the information to the relevant authority, depending on the location.

In line with its Roads Repair and Maintenance policy, SANRAL has swiftly responded to and repaired all potholes which have been reported on the national road network.

“A total of 618 potholes have been reported on SANRAL roads to date; 475 of these were in the Northern Region; 72 in the Eastern Region; 60 in the Southern Region; and 11 in the Western Region. All these were fixed and those that haven’t are still within the 48-hour widow that we have set ourselves at SANRAL,” said Louw Kannemeyer, SANRAL’s Engineering Executive.

SANRAL spokesman Vusi Mona said the first six months of the Vala Zonke campaign had shown some success in providing the public with a single pothole reporting app that can be used on all roads in South Africa, providing centralised consolidated view of all reported potholes enabling focused engagements between DOT and relevant authority and fixing potholes but that a massive inter-governmental effort would be required to overcome the scourge on a much wider scale.

“As the coordinating agency for the Vala Zonke campaign, SANRAL has done an assessment of the limited progress made in fixing potholes across the country. It is important to understand the legal mandates of the various spheres of government, to understand who is responsible for which roads, and to be clear about how the campaign to fix potholes is coordinated,” said Mr Mona.

South Africa’s total road network is estimated at 750,000 kilometres, the longest of any African country and the 11th longest in the world. Responsibility for building and maintaining the network is divided between SANRAL, provincial and local government authorities. SANRAL manages national roads and has a network of 23 512 kilometres of paved roads. Provinces are responsible for just over 270,000 kilometres (46,500 km paved) while the municipal network is estimated at just over 320 000 kilometres (nearly 88,000km paved) of the proclaimed network. The rest are unproclaimed gravel roads (mainly serving rural communities) and are therefore not owned or maintained by any road authority.

Mona explains: “For our part, SANRAL has a mandate which covers more than 23,000km of national roads and we can give updates about potholes that have been fixed the national road network. While we are aware of work that has and is being done by provincial and municipal roads authorities in fixing potholes on the roads, they are responsible for, SANRAL is not in a position to authoritatively give account on these.”

Mona acknowledges that Operation Vala Zonke has not come without its challenges. For example, getting data from the other roads authorities is still a challenge though progress is being made in this regard.

Mona added that the challenges are not insurmountable. “We will not grow tired until we have delivered on the mission, and we want to assure South Africans that government remains committed to addressing the problem. The solution is here, but it can only be fully effective when we all play our part,” said Mr Mona.

MEDIA RELEASE:

Training important for the development of SMMEs before upgrading the N2 between Grahamstown and Fish River Pass

Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL Southern Region’s Stakeholder Relations Coordinator, addressed Ngqushwa Local Municipality stakeholders, including small, medium and micro enterprises. Seated are Ward 1 Councillor, Mfundo Gqo, and Ward 8 Councillor, Nandipha Dyulivani.

Eastern Cape, 8 February 2023: Upgrading the N2 between Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) and Fish River Pass, Phase 3, will create much-needed jobs and boost the economy of the Ngqushwa and Makana Local Municipalities, stakeholders were told.

Councillor Lindiwe Mdabula, Ngqushwa Local Municipality’s portfolio head for budget and treasury, said that the upgrading of the route is important for the growth of the town.

“Upgrading the route is important for the municipality’s economic growth. Unemployment is high in the municipality but through this project we hope families will benefit, not only the affected ward but the entire municipality,” said Mdabula.

Mdabula further requested SANRAL to monitor the progress of the work on the project. “The quality of the completed project must be of a standard that we will be proud of. SMME capacitation is also one of our mayor’s strategies to ensure that Ngqushwa small business owners are prioritised on this project. I also want to emphasise that communication is the key whenever there are challenges. I am pleading with all stakeholders to seek clarity and explanation if anything is unclear. Our doors will always be open to assist,” said Mdabula.

Councillor Mzobanzi Nkwentsha, LED and Planning Portfolio head for Makana Local Municipality, addressed SMMEs during the session in Makhanda.

Councillor Mzobanzi Nkwentsha, Local Economic Development (LED) and Planning Portfolio head for Makana Local Municipality, said training on this project was quite important. “You must participate on the PLC process so there is no confusion about what happens on the project. This project will create much-needed jobs for our people,” he said.

Nkwentsha also stressed that the term SMMEs did not apply only to categorically construction businesses. “The term SMME includes the entire value chain of the project, and we expect that all SMMEs in the value chain will be taken into account.”

SANRAL introduced WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd to the Ngqushwa and Makana Local Municipalities to municipal stakeholders and SMMEs, as the appointed contractor who will upgrade the N2 between Makhanda and Fish River Pass: Phase 3 project – Section 13, from Km 92.6 to Km 103.6, and Section 14, from Km 0.0 to Km 5.05.

The duration of the contract, with an estimated project budget of R647 858 000 inclusive, is 30 months and includes a three-month mobilisation period. After the mobilisation period the construction will start in May and will take place over 27 months.

This project is the third phase of upgrading the existing N2 single carriageway of section 13 and 14 to a new geometric standard. The upgrading will include building three new underpasses, culverts and the extension of two existing underpasses. The construction of community access roads will be in the Lewiswood, Mabofolweni and Nobumba areas, just off the N2 at approximately km 5.6 on Section 14.

Regarding the engagement of local enterprises in the project, Thandile Makwabe, SANRAL Southern Region’s Transformation Officer, explained that the first stage of the tender evaluation is for the targeted enterprises to have the necessary paperwork in order. The first-stage small business owners must be registered with the Central Supplier Database (CSD), be a B-BBEE contributor level, and the entity status must be EME or QSE.

“If SMMEs do not meet the requirements of the first stage they will not progress to stage two. Stage two is the functionality of the tendering phase,” said Makwabe.
Training is integral for developing, mentoring, guiding and equipping SMMEs with the knowledge they will need before work starts on upgrading of the N2 between Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) and Fish River Pass, Phase 3, which spans Ngqushwa and Makana Local Municipalities.

Zoleka Mathangana, from ACS/Tjeka joint venture (JV), SANRAL’s appointed training service provider, said the intention of the pre-tender training was to prepare and provide the new entities with the necessary theoretical information and skills required for pursuing a future in construction, managing a business, managing a contract/project and being able to compile and submit a compliant tender document. This training is targeting CIDB Grades 1-4.

“This training will ensure that the Targeted Enterprises are better equipped to participate in the upcoming opportunities in the Region. The training comprises of the ten accredited modules from CETA and the duration is 15 days in training and seven days assessment to make a total of 22 days. These modules form part of the National Certificate: Construction constructing NQF level 2,” said Mathangana.

Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL Southern Region’s Stakeholder Coordinator, presented SANRAL’s 14 Point Plan, which is the road agency’s guide to facilitate better project liaison with local communities and structures that are affected by its projects. She said the plan strives to ensure transparency and inclusivity among those who work on SANRAL projects.

“Before the construction starts a Project Liaison Committee (PLC) would have already been established. PLCs assist greatly in ensuring better communication and transparency as well as ensuring that work done is done seamlessly on projects. All community representatives – including the youth, women, people with disabilities and military veterans, to mention a few – must be represented in the PLC,” said Ndika.

Ward 1 Councillor Mfundo Gqo, from Ngqushwa Local Municipality, encouraged people to cooperate on the project. “This platform is the right place to ask questions and not to go after the meeting and debate about the project when you should have asked the questions here. We assure SANRAL that the Ngqushwa Local Municipality is the most cooperative municipality in the province,” said Gqo.

 

MEDIA RELEASE 

SANRAL tender awards continue to aid economic recovery of construction industry

Gauteng, 1 February 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has this week awarded four major construction tenders, collectively worth nearly R7 billion, for projects in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

These awards will help boost the construction sector and should be seen as part of the broader national effort by government to invest in economic infrastructure, says the roads agency.

In line with SANRAL’s commitment to the economic development of black businesses, at least 30% of the contract value of each tender will be subcontracted to small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

In the Eastern Cape, the construction of the N2 Wild Coast Highway from Msikaba Bridge to Mtentu Bridge was awarded to WBHO H&I JV at a cost of R2 545 887 375. On this 54-month project, which includes three months of site mobilisation, no less than 35% will be subcontracted to black-owned SMMEs, squarely exceeding SANRAL’s transformation targets.

The rehabilitation of the N2 from Mt Frere to Ngcweleni River was awarded to Rumdel Construction Cape (Pty) Ltd at a cost of R1 202 448 588. This 45-month contract will see SMMEs benefit to the tune of 30% from subcontracting.

Still in the Eastern Cape, the construction of the N2 Wild Coast Highway from Lingeni Intersection to Msikaba Bridge was awarded to WBHO-Edwin Construction JV. With a contract value of R2 296 695 921 this project, which spans 45 months, will see SMME project participation coming in at 35%, again exceeding SANRAL’s transformation targets.

In KZN, the upgrade of the N11 from the N11/R103 Interchange to Elandslaagte, with a contract value of R864 888 000, was awarded to Raubex Construction (Pty) Ltd. The contract, which will span 39 months, will see more than R250 million (30%) subcontracted to SMMEs.

Over and above the substantial subcontracting which is collectively worth R2.1 billion, these projects are a platform for large-scale job creation, skills development, knowledge transfer and poverty relief, especially in the rural communities of South Africa. The significantly long construction periods afford sustained economic opportunities for these communities. If the SANRAL separately funded community development projects are factored into the equation, the number of SMME opportunities as well as training and job opportunities for ordinary members of our communities significantly increases, thus tangibly reducing unemployment, inequality and poverty, says the Board of SANRAL.

“While we are alive to the cries from our industry for more projects to be put out to tender, we are equally committed to fair and transparent procurement processes, as required by law, but also the need to prioritise the economic development of those previously denied opportunities to SANRAL projects. We also have to respond to the need, as admonished by the Constitution, to advance persons or categories of persons disadvantaged by unfair discrimination. Moving forward, striking a balance between safeguarding our big and established companies and creating opportunities for black businesses at higher and lower CIDB grades will be a material deliverable within SANRAL,” said SANRAL Board Chairperson, Mr Themba Mhambi.

Stakeholder engagement sessions will also be prioritised in the affected communities to ensure that local business and job-seekers have access to relevant information that will enable them to pursue and participate in the economic opportunities flowing from these tender awards and projects. Through the establishment of Project Liaison Committees (PLCs) we will also ensure fairness and transparency in all the appointments of subcontractors and the engagement of local labour.

“We want to see meaningful transformation that truly changes people’s lives for the better and not simply impressive statistics,” said Mhambi.