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National roll-out of SANRAL pre-tender SMME training

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SANRAL’s Transformation Policy sets clearly defined targets for the participation of black contractors, professionals and suppliers, and is designed to maximise their participation in all projects commissioned by the roads agency.

The national roll-out of SANRAL’s programme of pre-tender training for SMMEs has commenced through the appointed service provider ACS/Tjeka JV.

 

The programme targets CIDB Grade 1–4 CEs with active membership who meet the requirements of registration with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and are SARS tax-compliant. The programme entails:

  • Briefing the Project Liaison Committee (PLC) on Routine Road Maintenance projects. These committees have vast constituency reach and assist with spreading information.
  • Placing adverts in local newspapers as a call for registration with the service provider online or by physical submission.
  • Obtaining the current SMME CIDB Grade 1–4 database from Routine Road Maintenance projects.
  • Conducting screening of SMMEs, looking at their CIDB, SARS, COID status, etc.
  • Inviting nominated individuals from qualifying SMMEs to write a maths literacy assessment that will qualify them for the 3-week training.

 

 

The training is designed to address basic literacy and numeracy, understanding how to run a successful contracting business and how to eventually develop and submit competitive, yet profitable and compliant tenders. Nine unit standards have been selected for the programme, which includes the use of mathematics to investigate and monitor the financial aspects of personal and community life, tender for construction contracts and manage construction resources, among others.

These nine unit standards form part of a 24-unit standard towards a National Certificate of Construction Supervision (NQF 2). If they so wish, the trainee can complete the remaining 15 modules on their own in the future. The programme includes assignments and assessments after each phase of the training has been completed.

Through this programme SANRAL aims to develop, support, train and capacitate an estimated 40,000 SMMEs over the next three years, in a bid to transform the industry and set in motion a developmental pipeline that will ultimately see subcontractors become main contractors.

In the coming months SANRAL will be taking its message of transformation and hope across the national road network. There are incredibly able and willing small businesses who simply need encouragement, access and mentoring to facilitate growth and development.

We are determined to break down barriers to meaningful participation in our industry, and getting SMMEs geared up is just the beginning.

 

Women at the fore in slope stabilisation

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SANRAL prioritises women in construction on its R400-million Western Region slope stabilisation projects. In Groot Brak alone, SANRAL is investing R240 million to stabilise the slope in a bid to prevent rockfalls and slope slipping. Women lead the charge on the projects. Deline Malgas, project liaison officer in Groot Brak, reaches out to unemployed people in the area to help them apply for work opportunities on site. On the R26 million Piekenierskloof Pass, Mquanlla van Wyk hauls a thick rope to support abseilers who dangle 100m off the ground as they work on the slope. Gelcon Civils, a women-owned construction company, is subcontracted to do traffic accommodation on the project. Kamogelo Monembe manages two subcontractors who work on the N1 between Riemhoogte and Skietfontein. “There aren’t many black female civil engineers, but it is time that changes. Young girls need to step up and be counted,” she says.

 

Express lanes for tolls on N4

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Paying toll fees on the Trans African Concessions (TRAC) N4 Route has become easier and more convenient with the introduction of express lanes at Nkomazi Plaza near Mbombela. Express lanes are situated on the extreme left of the plaza (in each direction). The tag is read, and road users must drive below 40km/h. It functions as a ‘pre-clearing’ zone to determine if the vehicle has a tag, if the tag is functional, and if it has sufficient funds. Although the express lanes enable road users to pay their toll fee while in motion, everyone using these lanes is advised to keep a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of them.

 

R155 million road project to start in Bedford

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SANRAL Southern Region Community Development Specialist Xoliswa Chubana addressing stakeholders in Bedford.

 

Much needed jobs will be created when a special maintenance road project from the R63/N10 intersection to Bedford kicks off in the neighbouring towns of Bedford and Cookhouse in the Eastern Cape. The project, valued at R155 million, will create job opportunities for community members and SMMEs in the local municipalities of Blue Crane and Raymond Mhlaba. The project includes a training budget allocated to upskill local SMMEs, especially emerging contractors in the lower grades as determined by the Construction Industry Development Board.

 

Key road projects earmarked for Mpumalanga

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SANRAL manages about 2,400km of road infrastructure across Mpumalanga province, and has projects planned in various municipalities, including upgrading the R573 Moloto Road (Thembisile Hani), resurfacing national route N17 from Springs to R50/Leandra Interchange, resurfacing national road R33 from Mkhondo to Amsterdam, and repairing various structures on the N12. Duration of these projects ranges from 10 to 15 months, and they are estimated to cost between R40 million to R50 million each. Opportunities for subcontracting include concrete pavement repair, drainage and structures improvements, road furniture (road signs and guardrails) and road markings. There are also 14 SANRAL community development projects, one being the improvement and construction of pedestrian safety facilities on national road R37 from Modikwa mine to Burgersfort, with a tender value of approximately R600 million. At least 20 SMMEs will be employed on the project, and more than 300 job opportunities will be created.

 

WORK BETWEEN SANCTUARY ROAD AND LINK ROAD TO COMMENCE ON 24 OCTOBER

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY
WORK BETWEEN SANCTUARY ROAD AND LINK ROAD TO COMMENCE ON 24 OCTOBER

Pietermaritzburg, 13 October 2022 – The repairs to the middle and fast lanes on the northbound carriageway on the N3 between Sanctuary Road and Link Road will now start on 24 October 2022, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has said.

“The works to repair the slow lane, which have been underway for the last 18 months, are nearing completion. While we are happy to report that this lane will be opening to traffic soon, repairs are however, required to the middle and fast lanes. The contractor had planned to undertake these repairs starting on 12 October 2022 but, due to circumstances beyond their control, the anticipated start date is now 24 October 2022,” said Thabiso Dladla, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

Due to the site conditions and safety concerns, this work will result in the road being reduced to only one lane at night. The work will be undertaken between 19h30 and 04h00 daily for approximately five weeks, starting on 24 October 2022.

“Traffic will be severely hampered, and motorists should plan their trips accordingly and add additional time for their travels. Officials from the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) will be present to assist in controlling the traffic. Motorists are warned that the repairs could result in an uneven surface and the motorists are asked to adhere strictly to all the speed restrictions while driving on the construction site,” said Dladla.

The alternate route for possible use by light motor vehicles only during this period is as follows:
Old Howick Road (R103) Motorists travelling to Howick can take the Armitage turn-off and drive along the R103 to join the N3 at the Cedara on-ramp.

All vehicles above 8-ton MAY NOT use the R103 and will have to allow extra time for the delays.

SANRAL apologises for the inconvenience caused to the motorists and road users.

SANRAL, Matjhabeng gets ready for festive season road safety by fixing potholes

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MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL, Matjhabeng gets ready for festive season road safety by fixing potholes

Free State, 9 October 2022 – With festive holidays two months away, the South African Road Agency (SOC) Limited has joined hands with provincial and local governments to fix all roads and improve the safety of travellers.

This weekend, SANRAL partnered with the Matjhabeng Municipality in Welkom, in the Free State, to repair potholes. Provincial and local governments are strategic partners of SANRAL which is the lead agency implementing the government’s Vala Zonke project, which aims to repair all potholes across the country in six months.

The Free State, which has long been dogged by the stigma of bad roads, mainly due to the high volumes of trucks, has already fixed and filled over 16 540 potholes.

The Operational Vala Zonke team in the Free State, converged on the busy R70 Road between the mining towns of Welkom and Hennenman in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality and repaired potholes as part of plans to combat the annual carnage on South African roads over the festive season.
Sanral executives led by board chairperson Themba Mhambi were fully in force by the road side where they had established a road side operation to repair potholes.

The Welkom road patching initiative forms part of the Vala Zonke project which was launched by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula in August. SANRAL is the implementing agency of the Department of Transport (DoT) and will be working closely with provincial and municipal roads departments to roll out the programme, which is enabled through a mobile phone application (app) that will allow members of the public to report potholes.

The intervention of SANRAL in the Matjhabeng municipality comes at a time when the local authority is battling to patch potholes in its six townships namely, Allanridge, Hennenman, Odendaalsrus, Ventersburg, Virginia and Welkom.

Simphiwo Mxhosa, SANRAL’s stakeholder relations head emphasised that road safety was a priority and in the construction of the national road network, it focuses on incorporating safety in that network’s design and engineering.

“Managing and mitigating risks on our road network is a key deliverable. Proactive planning, design, construction and maintenance are benchmarked against industry best practice to ensure that our national road network can hold its own among the best in the world.

“Sanral identifies and addresses high-incident areas, and the intervention came after the road death toll has seen hundreds of people killed on the country’s roads every December, with calls for stricter policing.”

He added that Sanral’s mandate in the road safety arena goes beyond the design and construction of safer roads. “We believe that the disciplines of engineering, education and enforcement (known as the three E-s of road safety) each play a vital role in reducing the carnage on our roads. As a road authority, the primary sphere of influence is engineering, but the agency also aims to change attitudes and behaviour among all road users through road safety education and awareness.”

During an earlier interview, Minister Mbalula said extensive planning had gone into preparations for this year’s festive season. He added that an in-depth analysis of road crash patterns had been undertaken to identify high accident zones along all roads to allow for targeted, informed deployment of resources.

Mxhosa said they were determined to beat the six months deadline that had been put to complete the potholes project by working around the clock with municipalities and provincial departments.

“We are really determined and appreciate the support and oversight role that our chairman Mr Mhambi is playing in motivating us. He has even sacrificed his busy schedule and family time to come and make sure that we are doing what we told the board – patching potholes to save lives and drastically reduce the death toll on our roads this festive season,” Mxhosa said.

Free State Police, Roads and Transport spokesperson Hillary Mophethe said the Operation Vala Zonke is expected to end by the end of March next year and the department has submitted its road network data to SANRAL to ensure that the app picks up the exact geo-location of a potholes in the province.

“Once this system is fully functional and all human resources trained, it will be effective in such a way that once a motorist captures and registers a pothole, there will be an instant notification received on the system and a team will be dispatched to find and attend to the identified pothole.”

The Free State department of roads and transport allocated R736 million since 2019 to fill potholes.

Limpopo fixes potholes to attract business and tourists

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MEDIA RELEASE
Limpopo fixes potholes to attract business and tourists

Limpopo, 7 October 2022 – In just over 60 days, the Province of Limpopo – renowned for its many bountiful natural treasures from platinum to coal to mangoes – has seen the fixing of 25 431 potholes as part of Operation Vala Zonke.

The province is also home to the recently launched Musina Ring Road, an engineering masterpiece built by South African National Road Agency SOC Limited, which is also the implementing agency for Operation Vala Zonke, a Department of Transport initiative aimed at fixing potholes across the country.

The Ring Road will positively transform road transit between South Africa and neighbouring countries, cutting down travel time and saving the town of Musina, and its residents, from the constant onslaught of heavy-duty trucks.

Limpopo has set a pothole-fixing target of 180 000 square metres, and so far the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, together with Extended Public Works employees, have managed to patch:

• 4157 potholes in the Capricorn district;
• 3 924 in the Mopani district;
• 2 487 potholes in the Sekhukhune district;
• 10 170 in the Vhembe district and
• 4 693 in the Waterberg – all covering an area of 25 000 metres

The commitment to eradicate potholes is part of the national government’s broader commitment to infrastructure development, identified as a critical element of South Africa’s economic recovery plan in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Infrastructure Investment Plan is the cornerstone of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October 2020.

Infrastructure projects are vital to the country’s economic recovery due to its multiplier effects in restoring economic growth, creating new jobs and protecting livelihoods.

Reviewing the work done to date, Nkakareng Rakgoale, Limpopo MEC for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure and Transport said: “Good roads attract tourists to an area. Limpopo is the gateway to other African countries, but travellers want to know that they can reach their destination safely.”

As part of accelerating the work by the department, Rakgoale recently launched a project for the full rehabilitation of the D1909, which links the Timbati Eastgate Airport Road with the R40 in the farming and tourism town of Hoedspruit.

“Motorists will breathe a sigh of relief as this 17km stretch of road will soon be rehabilitated. This comes in handy as the airport is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment. With an average of 150 monthly flights and over 7 000 passengers passing through its gates on any given month, we had to come on board and provide proper road infrastructure to strengthen the influx of capital into the province,” Rakgoale said.

Over the next six months, the Department of Transport, through SANRAL, will monitor and assess the impact of the interventions which have been put in place. This will enable SANRAL to generate audit reports, which will form the basis for validation of the work undertaken and the turn-around time for attending to potholes in Limpopo.

Tom Vorster, a representative for the local tourism sector, said they were delighted that the roads were being fixed as this would create a conducive environment to do business in the area.

He said repairing potholes saved roads from further deterioration and was a great initiative to make the province’s roads better and safer for all road users.

SANRAL RRM projects to create jobs for residents in Moses Kotane Local Municipality

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MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL RRM projects to create jobs for residents in Moses Kotane Local Municipality

North West, 7 October 2022 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) hosted its flagship ‘Taking SANRAL to the People’ engagement in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality on Thursday, 6 October 2022. The stakeholder-led interaction aims to empower emerging SMMEs with knowledge regarding opportunities available on upcoming SANRAL projects, in line with the agency’s Transformation Policy.

“As an agency of the Department of Transport, SANRAL ensures that it engages with people on the ground to inform them about what the agency does, and how the stakeholders can qualify to work on Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) projects currently on tender,” said SANRAL Stakeholder Relations Coordinator, Ms Jullecsia Saul.

“The important task for SANRAL is to deliver value to South African citizens and road users through the successful implementation of quality road infrastructure and to positively have an impact on society by creating jobs for local communities and subcontracting opportunities for local SMMEs,” she said.

SANRAL Project Manager in the Northern Region, Ms Fulufhelo Luruli, added that SANRAL projects will create jobs for local labour and training for unskilled labour in Moses Kotane Local Municipality.
“While we maintain national roads as SANRAL, we make sure that the members of the community are given job opportunities to be part of the road infrastructure development and benefit from it. Over and above the main contractors, we also ensure that subcontractors are selected from the local area.”

The Executive Mayor of the Moses Kotane Local Municipality, Honourable Nketu Nkotswe, welcomed SANRAL’s initiative to engage stakeholders. She noted that this engagement presents an opportunity for stakeholders within the local municipality to be well informed about all SANRAL’s current and future projects. It also assists SMMEs in preparing themselves for tendering opportunities.

“As Moses Kotane Local Municipality, we rely on partnerships that will create much-needed job opportunities for locals. SANRAL is bringing several projects to our municipality, not only will these projects yield opportunities for employment and subcontracting, but it will ensure that our roads are in good shape, meaning that all the tourists and stakeholders who travel on the roads will travel safely,” she said.

During the session, stakeholders raised questions that touches on transparency. Mr Themba Mhambi, Chairman of the SANRAL Board, emphasised that SANRAL is a public entity and may not hide anything from any South African.
“The agency uses public monies, therefore the South African public at all levels has a right to know every single detail about SANRAL projects and the monies allocated to them,” said Mhambi.

The following RRM projects have been earmarked for execution in Moses Kotane Local Municipality:

Routine Road Maintenance (RRM)

There are currently three RRM projects affecting Moses Kotane Local Municipality: Routine Road Maintenance of R510 national road Section 1, R556 national road Section 1 and R565 national road in Rustenburg. Shonisani Rambau Construction was appointed as the main contractor for these projects on a three-year contract ending in October 2023. Because there is a lot of Grades 1CE and 2CE targeted enterprises within the local municipality, SANRAL only awards 12-months contracts to allow others to participate.

For CIDB Grade 1CE and 2CEs

  • Cleaning of waterway structures
  • Cleaning of prefabricated culverts
  • Cleaning of concrete drains and channels
  • Cleaning and maintenance of existing earth channels
  • Edge build-up removal
  • Road sign cleaning and removal of illegal signs

For CIDB Grade 3CE and 4CEs

  • Pavement layers repair
  • Repair of potholes
  • Crack and joint sealing of concrete pavements
  • Fencing
  • Guardrail erection and maintenance
  • General erosion protection
  • Gabion protection
  • Controlling vegetation growth: mowing and cutting
  • Removal of undesirable vegetation: physical eradication
  • Maintenance and establishment of plants

SANRAL will continue to provide and manage a safe national road network to enable and contribute to economic growth and social development.

R26 Million Rehabilitation of Sarnia Road Bridge to start mid-October 2022

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MEDIA RELEASE

R26 Million Rehabilitation of Sarnia Road Bridge to start mid-October 2022

Durban, 6 October 2022 – The rehabilitation of the Sarnia Road Grade Separation Bridge B112 over the National Route 2 (N2) is set to start in mid-October 2022, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced.

In 2015, two fuel tankers collided on the N2 in the proximity of the Sarnia Road Grade Separation Bridge B112 over the N2 at km 11.4. The two tankers and their fuel content subsequently burst into flames and in the ensuing fire, extensive damage was done to the road pavement on the N2 and to portions of the Sarnia Road Grade Separation B112. The N2 had to be closed to traffic and emergency repairs were done to the road pavement. This contract is for the repair work and rehabilitation of the bridge. Included in this project are routine bridge repairs not related to the fire damage.

“The rehabilitation on the bridge is expected to commence in mid-October 2022, starting with the temporary access platform over the N2. The works will include the repair of fire-damaged concrete on the bridge. Further construction work on the bridge will include minor work such as crack sealing and replacement of damaged sidewalk covers under the seven-month contract,” said Serisha Sukraj, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager.

The project falls within the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in the province of KwaZulu
Natal. The construction supervision will be undertaken by Naidu Consulting and the contract allows for targeted enterprises and labour involvement under the Contract Participation Goals (CPG).

Lane closures are envisaged. However, the work will be accommodated with some restrictions and with traffic control measures in place.

“We appeal to road users to note and comply with the advance warning signs and speed restrictions when travelling past the construction work zones. To prioritise the safety of both the construction

works and road users, the speed limit along the route will be reduced during construction. Motorists are encouraged to plan their trips accordingly, and to make provision for the additional travel time,” said Sukraj.