The Huguenot Tunnel will be partially closed in September, October and November from 10pm to 6am, Monday to Thursday for necessary upgrading. To accommodate increased holiday traffic, work will be suspended during December and early January.
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N2/N3 upgrade package set for end 2019
Thousands of entrepreneurs and job-seekers attended stakeholder events in Pietermaritzburg, Hammarsdale and Durban during the last week of June where SANRAL shared information on business and job opportunities available on the R30bn N2/N3 upgrade project. Some of N2/N3 freeway upgrade construction packages are expected to be awarded by the end of the year. The project will see the upgrading of the N2 between the south and north coasts and the N3 between Durban and Maritzburg.
Eleven good women and men
Four of eleven key appointments in roads and transport positions after the recent national and provincial elections are new, confirming the trend of continuity and change set in both national and provincial executives.
Top of the list is Mr Fikile Mbalula, who takes over as Minister of Transport from Dr Blade Nzimande. Dr Nzimande returns to his former portfolio of Higher Education which has now merged with Science and Technology.
Mr Mbalula came to politics via the United Democratic Front and the ANC Youth League, of which he was president. He was previously the Minister of Sport and Recreation and later of Police. He headed the ANC’s 2019 election campaign.
His deputy – Ms Dikeledi Magadzi – was previously the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on transport. She hails from Limpopo where she served as MEC in several portfolios.
Also new is Gauteng’s Mr Jacob Mamabolo, who heads the renamed Department of Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure. He was previously the MEC of Infrastructure Development.
The last of the new appointees is the MEC for Transport and Safety Liaison, Ms Nontobeko Vilakazi, in the Northern Cape. She comes from the provincial ANC Women’s League where she was secretary.
Heading the list of experienced hands, is North West’s MEC for Public Works and Transport, Mr Gaoage Molapisi. Premier Job Mokgoro and his administration has built a close working relationship with SANRAL in recent months.
In the Western Cape the go-to-man is Mr Bonginkosi Madikizela, MEC for Transport and Public Works. He also leads the DA in this province and has served on the Western Cape executive since 2009.
Ms Wesiwe Tikana was re-appointed as the Eastern Cape’s MEC for Transport, Roads and Community Safety. She will be working in an environment where the approach is to turn the province into a massive construction site.
Back in the job in Mpumalanga is Mr Gillion Mashego as MEC for Transport, Roads and Community Safety. His view is that road infrastructure is a critical part of growing the economy, creating jobs and opportunities for businesses.
In a much-changed executive in Limpopo, Ms Sekutu Mochadi, was one of the few who was retained as MEC for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure. She is full of praise for the sterling work SANRAL is doing in the province.
In the Free State Mr Sam Mashinini was kept on as MEC for Police, Roads and Transport. He also heads the ANC in the province and points out that as a landlocked entity a high-class network of roads is essential.
Retained as MEC for Transport in KwaZulu-Natal is Mr Mxolisi Kaunda whose intent is on building quality roads and highways across the province to stimulate economic growth.
Judge has high praise for SANRAL
The N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project is going ahead. The North Gauteng High Court denied an appeal against a decision that had confirmed SANRAL’s commitment to proceed with the construction. Judge Cynthia Pretorius found in the road’s agency’s favour and confirmed the validity of the public participation processes during the environmental assessment.
This enabled the public to engage with the assessment through a range of platforms, including public meetings, imbizos and social media. Judge Pretorius had high praise for the level of engagement, calling it “one of the most comprehensive participation processes undertaken in this country”.
SANRAL recognises that there are a minority of people who are opposed to the project – mostly because of unconfirmed reports about an unconnected mining project. Yet there is overwhelming support for the benefits that N2WCR will bring to communities and local businesses.
According to a survey by the Human Sciences Research Council in 2015 more than 98% of residents interviewed supported the building of the new road between Lusikisiki and Port Edward.
None of the local protests were aimed at the project itself. There were issues concerning the composition of the public liaison committees, employment, sub-contracting and local suppliers. These are being resolved with stakeholders.
The High Court confirmed that the approved route was the best available alternative based on a combination of social, environmental and economic factors. In line with international best practice all the identified potential impacts are avoided, minimised or mitigated.
SANRAL is working closely with relevant agencies in the Eastern Cape to protect sensitive environmental areas. In addition, the social impact of the road is minimised through the construction of pedestrian and vehicle bridges as well as underpasses that will improve access and mobility for local communities.
Affected communities and individuals are compensated for any loss of land and all structures within the road reserve are relocated and rebuilt in line with approval of the owners.
The N2WCR forms part of government’s Strategic Integrated Projects – SIP3 – which is designed to accelerate economic growth in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
The much shorter N2 route will shorten travel time, reduce carbons emissions and improve road safety on one of the most important national highways. It will provide improved access to the under-developed Pondoland region and boost economic opportunities in agriculture, tourism and the hospitality industry.
Roads: what can the country afford?
What can the country afford and what does it need?
This was one of the main topics at the Transport Forum’s series of discussions held between December 2018 and April this year. Difficult choices on funding lie ahead.
The forum is a platform for all transport stakeholders to meet, mingle and discuss major sector issues. Attendees come from government, civil society, academia and the private sector to discuss policy, technology and regulation.
At a recent meeting on road funding, SANRAL Engineering Executive Louw Kannemeyer said the estimated funding requirement to sustain the road network is R86bn a year. An additional R23.3bn is needed to catch up on the backlog, making the total annual requirement R110bn a year while the total budget for roads in 2017/18 was only R52bn.
He doubted that the fuel levy is a way out. To meet the funding shortfall, the levy would have to go up from R3.37 per litre to R6.21.
The rise of hybrid and electric vehicles will also influence revenue collection through the fuel levy.
Globally, the fuel price in South Africa is ranked 19th. But households spend almost 7% of their daily wages on fuel, which pushes the country down to 56th on the Bloomberg Fuel Price Index’s affordability ranking.
Kannemeyer said South Africa has to decide what length of road network it can sustain and in what condition.
Various experts added their voices:
- Gavin Kelley, acting CEO of the Road Freight Association, predicted the fuel levy is going to decrease dramatically. “The funds from the fuel levy need to be ring-fenced for roads.”
- Economist Mike Schüssler said the reality is that the fuel tax in itself is not enough for roads.
- Dr Paul Nordengen, manager of network asset management at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, said that road funding is critical for future development, but the fuel tax is unlikely to exist in future.
- Prof Stephan Krygsman of the Department of Transport Economics at Stellenbosch University said: “We should pay for roads. The question is how much and how to do it.”
- Whity Maphakela, acting chief director of road infrastructure at the Department of Transport, said new revenue sources would have to be found to fund future road development. The government supports the user-pay principle as a primary funding mechanism. There are serious implications if roads aren’t maintained. Delaying maintenance by up to five years can increase costs by up to 18-fold. And warned: the road user carries the cost of poor roads – an additional R20bn a year due to failures in the current road network.
Removing entry barriers
SANRAL has taken one more step to transform the construction industry. In April it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Pilot Crushtec to give small and medium enterprises access to expertise and machinery required to execute major SANRAL projects.
The CEO of the roads agency, Mr Skhumbuzo Macozoma, said: “It is our intention, through MoUs like these, to open up the industry to new participants and remove many of the barriers that prevent companies owned by black people, women and youth entrepreneurs to compete effectively against entrenched players in the construction sector”.
Pilot Crushtec International was founded in 1990 and has established itself as Southern Africa’s leading supplier of mobile and semi-mobile crushing, screening, recycling, sand wasting, stockpiling, compacting and material handling solutions.
The company is well-placed to equip up-and-coming contractors and quarry owners with the opportunity to be educated by its team of experts on how to get the most out of their operations, said sales and marketing director Francois Marais. It looks forward to promoting its locally produced products, which are world leaders and are exported to many countries.
Mr Macozoma said that the partnership is proof that SANRAL’s efforts to transform the construction sector and promote fair competition are delivering results. “Lack of access to sophisticated machinery and equipment is a major barrier to small contractors and prevents them from participation in large tenders.
“By working with established companies, we can remove these barriers.”
SONA focus on infrastructure
Far-reaching measures to revitalise the construction sector and increased investment in infrastructure were among the highlights of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address.
Opening the first session of the 6th Parliament in June, President Ramaphosa committed government to the accelerated implementation of the National Development Plan.
Three issues stood out in the wide-ranging speech that set out his administration’s priorities for the new term of Parliament.
Economic growth depends on investment in infrastructure
The new approach to infrastructure development is based on stronger partnerships between the public and private sectors and with local communities.
This includes a special package of financial and institutional measures to boost construction – including roads – through a more efficient use of budgeted money.
The R100bn Infrastructure Fund announced earlier will be managed by the Development Bank of Southern Africa with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure playing an oversight role.
This will ensure better planning, rigorous feasibility and preparatory work, improved strategic management, impeccable execution and better governance.
Restructured state-owned entities will play critical roles
To ensure the state is able to generate economic and social development it is essential that state-owned enterprises are strengthened.
The Presidential Council on SOEs will ensure greater alignment between all state-owned companies and better define their respective mandates. The council will work with the leadership of SOEs to develop a legal and regulatory environment that promotes innovation and agility and enhances their competitiveness.
“We will build on the work we have already begin to address problems of poor governance, inefficiency and financial sustainability,” President Ramaphosa said.
Youth employment must be elevated to a national priority
He announced the implementation of a comprehensive plan to create no fewer than two million new jobs for young people within the next decade. This plan will be driven and coordinated from the Presidency.
Government will continue to provide employment through the Expanded Public Works Programme. It will also mean cooperating with the private sector and public sector agencies to invest in sectors where jobs demand is growing – including technical installation, the digital economy and the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Community development programme creates safer walkways for residents in Eastern Cape villages
Of the 12 SMMEs appointed to build the walkways, eight were female-owned and four were youth-owned with CIDB level between 1 and 2.
Twelve SMMEs created work for 120 people during the construction of pedestrian walkways on the R72 Section 3 to Section 4 between Birah River and Openshaw Village in the Eastern Cape.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) appointed the 12 SMMEs to build the 7 787m of concrete pedestrian walkway over an 18-month period.
The work also included the construction of 19.5m³ gabion works, 1557m³ roadbed compacted to 90% MOD AASHTO, 1 168m³ SSG layer compacted to 95% MOD AASHTO and 639m³ concrete.
“During heavy rain there would be potholes on the gravel road making it difficult for community members to walk on the road,” said Roland Thompson, SANRAL Southern Region Project Manager.
Of the 12 SMMEs appointed to build the walkways, eight were female-owned and four were youth-owned with CIDB level between 1 and 2.
“Prior to commencement of any work, all the necessary routes were discussed with the community leaders. The routes were confirmed by the Project Liaison Officer (PLO) and contractor. Alternative routes were made available so there was no interference with land owners such as small farms, plots and grave yards,” said Mbulelo Peterson SANRAL Southern Region Manager.
Expressing interest
SMMEs needed to provide an expression of their interest in training.
Local SMMEs submitted their company profiles to the Project Liaison Committee (PLC) and the local municipality. Qualifying SMMEs were invited to write a competency test and the successful SMMEs then received tendering training by an accredited training facilitator.
Once the project commenced, SMMEs were given onsite training by an accredited training provider.
Training was provided for each layer they constructed, such as the roadbed, SSG and concrete. The main contractor issued the necessary paper work and trained SMMEs on how to complete daily reports, timesheets and daily safety task instruction (DSTI) sheet.
This was done through a dedicated SMME foreman.
Each project started with clear and grub, and thereafter the roadbed was constructed. This was followed by the construction of one layer of 100mm G6 material, while 50mm reinforced concrete layer was the final layer to the walkway.
“The entire process was labour intensive. The SANRAL materials testing laboratory team also tested for compaction,” said Peterson.
Women consortium boosted by SANRAL training
Yeyethu Bafazi is defying the odds and making moves in an industry that continues to undermine their capabilities and passion.
Yeyethu Bafazi Construction is a consortium established in 2018 by a group of five women subsequent to undergoing training with the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL).
The group, comprising of Thabile Nkonki from Talinko Construction, Zodidi Mbuzelwa from Junebug Tradings23 CC, Siphokazi Cekwana from Mthonyama Technologies, Nyameka Poyo of Going Places Construction and Projects, and Nomalunga Tonjeni from Rhu and Sons, hails from the dusty streets of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape province.
SANRAL training
The training programme with SANRAL was delivered over a four-year period and included modules such as; Start and Run a Business, Apply Business Concepts, Monitor Control Costs, Apply Construction Documents, Read and Interpret Drawings, and Calculate Construction Quantities, amongst others.
“Having identified the skills shortage in the roads sector, SANRAL targeted Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) to be trained to build safe roads within communities, whilst also being upskilled to prepare them to participate in the roads agency’s bigger road rehabilitation projects in future,” said Dr Mongezi Noah, a Community Development Specialist at SANRAL Southern Region.
This training programme took place in Port St Johns and included practical and theoretical aspects. Subsequent to the training, the group decided that forming a consortium would better position them as women in a male–dominated industry.
Construction industry in SA
The construction industry plays a vital role in South Africa’s economy and is a significant contributor to economic growth. It creates employment, especially for the least skilled members of society.
It creates many opportunities within communities and contributes directly to improving the quality of life of the users of its products.
With the country’s unemployment rate currently at 27.6% and the Eastern Cape’s unemployment rate at 37.4%, the role to be played by SMMEs in job creation is most significant now, and SANRAL’s investment in training programmes will yield positive results in this regard.
Defying the odds
Yeyethu Bafazi is defying the odds and making moves in an industry that continues to undermine their capabilities and passion.
They are determined to make a mark in South Africa’s most poverty-stricken province. The consortium is determined to bridge the gap by creating jobs, especially for those people who do not have skills and those without experience.
The consortium holds a Grade 5 Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) grading.
Their goal is to advance to Grade 9 CIDB grading soon. Their vision is to become the best construction company in the industry, specializing in Civil Construction, General Building for Government Clients, Commercial, Mining and Residential Sectors.
Thabile Nkonki, director of Yeyethu Bafazi Construction, said; “Dedication to service delivery, creating sustainable relationships with our clients and paying attention to detail is what sets us apart from our competitors.”
As a 100% black-owned business completely owned and operated by women, they often experience sexism and bias from the community and potential clientele.
Their capacity is often scrutinized despite having proven their competence through the range of construction projects completed, added Nkonki.
Yeyethu Bafazi Construction employs construction personnel living in and around Mthatha, thus making them not only innovators in the construction industry but also job creators in a South African economy with few work opportunities.
Upon concluding training, SANRAL keeps close ties with the training beneficiaries to ensure that they apply what they have learnt, and to ensure they progress.
“The trainees have to keep SANRAL well-informed of their activities and CIDB upgrading. They are also added to the database of companies that have received training from SANRAL,” said Noah.
SANRAL bridge granted highest honour
Bridge wins Fulton Award as it is a “ testament to excellence in the use of concrete”, said judges.
The new South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) arch bridge on the N7 near Clanwilliam over the Olifants River in the Western Cape is this year’s winner of the prestigious Fulton Award for excellence in concrete construction.
The award acknowledges “the quality of SANRAL’s design and engineering capabilities. It also underlines its ability to work with contractors, clients, suppliers and labour to deliver world-class projects,” explained Louw Kannemeyer, SANRAL engineering executive.
The bridge is part of the upgrading of the N7 from Cape Town to the Namibian border – one of the important trade and tourist routes in the country.
It consists of the construction of a new road and bridge across the river adjacent to the present bridge, which was deemed to be unsafe and incapable of handling large volumes of traffic.
It is 166m long with a 93m-long arch.
The Fulton Award judges noted the attention to detail in design and construction, and the quality of the concrete finish, which make the bridge “a testament to excellence in the use of concrete”.
It is the highest honour bestowed by the Concrete Society of Southern Africa.
It celebrates excellence and outstanding achievements in concrete engineering and architecture. It attracts more than 30 entries annually in several categories.
SANRAL’s award was for projects with a value below R100-million. The principal agent on the project was Aurecon, while Stefanutti Stocks Coastal was the main contractor.
Another SANRAL bridge was commended by the Fulton Award judges. The Regents Park pedestrian bridge on the N17 in Gauteng is part of a broader project on the highway and consists of three pedestrian bridges and facilities. The other two are at Ergo Road and KwaThema.
Regents Park was especially dangerous as the N17 carries up to 38 000 vehicles a day. The project improved safety for road users and pedestrians as well as providing a durable bridge, which will survive the realities of theft, vandalism and decay in an urban environment.
The bridge was given a special mention by the Fulton Award judges.