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Bridge-building competition inspires learners to study civil engineering

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The winning team, from left, Lunar Dakada, a grade 11 learner at Lawson Brown High School, Asemahle Beyi, a grade 11 learner at Sanctor High School and Lonwabo Xalanga, a grade 12 learner at Marymount High School – who all form part of the iGEMS education-to-employment programme – were crowned the winners of the annual iGEMs bridge- building competition hosted at the SANRAL Lab in Struandale, Gqeberha.

MEDIA RELEASE

Bridge-building competition inspires learners to study civil engineering

Eastern Cape, 17 August 2022: Grade 11 and 12 learners who participated in a bridge-building competition have been inspired to pursue careers in Civil Engineering. The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) the Unity in Africa Foundation and Labco hosted learners at the 7th annual bridge-building competition in Struandale in Gqeberha (Port Elizabberth)

The learners all form part of the Unity in Africa Foundation’s Incubating Great Engineering Minds (iGEMs) programme.

“SANRAL remains passionate and committed to the development of the learners’ education,” said Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Regional Manager.

The competition is based on the format and rules of the South African Institute of Civil Engineering’s bridge-building competition. The learners had to design and then build model bridges using only wooden sticks, glue, sewing pins, and rope in two hours and forty-five minutes, following functional specifications and construction methods.

The key objective of the iGEMs programme is to increase the number of technical and engineering graduates from disadvantaged communities in Nelson Mandela Bay and then to place them in permanent employment.

“Our students are selected from the ongoing relationships we have built with various schools over the years. Working together with industry partners, students are placed in industry to do a learnership year before entering their chosen field of study,” explained Berenice Rose, Director of the Unity in Africa Foundation.

“We start with roadshows at various schools in and around Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) focused on grade 10 students who take core maths and physical science as school subjects with a strong interest in the engineering and IT spaces.”

Lunar Dakada, 16 years old, who is in Grade 11 at Lawson Brown High School, said: “I am extremely happy. I wanted to study mechatronics engineering or civil engineering. After today’s competition I am inspired to study civil engineering.”

Lonwabo Xalanga, 17 years old, who is in Grade 12 at Marymount High School, said: “I am thrilled that we won because I did not expect this. I am inspired to study civil engineering or mechatronic engineering.”

Asemahle Beyi, a Grade 11 learner at Sanctor High School, said the exposure to civil engineering was inspiring. “Now that I have helped build a bridge, I want to add civil engineering to my list of potential careers to pursue. I am excited that we won.”

The bridges were judged on aesthetics, weight and structural strength. Strength testing was done using suspended weights that stretched the bridges to breaking point in an ultimate showdown between the four teams.

 

SANRAL enriches the lives of candidate engineers

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SANRAL candidate engineer Thabang Motedi assembles the compaction machine that is used to determine the maximum dry density and optimum moisture for soil or gravel layers in road construction. He is supervised by Zolani Sinukela, a senior materials tester of soil.

MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL enriches the lives of candidate engineers

Eastern Cape, 17 August 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) is contributing to the growth of the civil engineering skills pool with 15 candidate engineers and four candidate technologists who started their training at the Technical Excellence Academy (TEA) in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth).

The candidates are from various provinces and have been placed among colleagues and peers who have an abundance of experience and advice to offer. Of the 19 candidates, eight will remain in Gqeberha for two years, working either at the design academy or the materials testing laboratory, and 11 have been assigned to work on construction sites.

Since its establishment in 2014, 30 female and 79 male candidate engineers have completed at least one year of training at the Academy.

“The candidates receive much-needed training that will allow them to achieve the training outcomes required by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) sooner than candidates who are not as privileged to be in such an enabling environment,” said Andrew van Gruting, SANRAL TEA Senior Mentor.

Ntokozo Ndinisa is a candidate engineer in the design academy.

The candidates joined the TEA in June this year. He said SANRAL benefits from the programme by having access to an increasing pool of highly talented candidate engineers and technologists who are establishing themselves in the industry early in their careers.

The participants undergo intensive training in the design aspects of SANRAL’s national road projects. The training includes geometric design, traffic analysis and capacity assessment, materials investigation and utilisation, pavement evaluations and materials designs, and storm water drainage assessments, including sub-surface drainage considerations.

Ntokozo Ndinisa, who graduated from the University of Witwatersrand in 2019 with his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree, is a former SANRAL bursary recipient and started as a candidate engineer working on the R81 project in Limpopo. “As an assistant resident engineer, my key roles were site-based work and supervision of roads and bridge construction,” said Ndinisa.

“After two years on site, I joined the design academy in March 2022. I am currently working on a design of upgrades from gravel to surfaced roads with a drainage project,” said Ndinisa.

Lisakhanya Wali, who graduated with his BEng Tech degree in Civil Engineering from the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) this year (2022), joined the materials testing laboratory in June.

“From a very young age I have always been fascinated with the design and construction of buildings and bridges, so I knew I’d end up working in one of these industries,” said Wali.

Lisakhanya Wali tests the effects of water content in soil using the Atterberg Limits method. He is supervised by Xoliswa Mnyaka, a senior material tester for soils.

Wali is currently based at the materials testing lab. “I’m stationed in the Seal Lab where we do various tests on aggregates. So far, my experience in the department has been very insightful. I enjoy getting my hands dirty, doing the actual tests and obtaining the results so that we can analyse them”.

“I’m looking forward to getting as much experience as I can which will help me register with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as a Professional Engineering Technologist. I also appreciate learning from the mentors and being exposed to different aspects of civil engineering, such as structures, geometric design and pavements,” said Wali.

Thabang Motedi received a SANRAL bursary in 2017 during his first year of studies until he graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering (Civil) from the University of Witwatersrand in 2022. He joined the materials testing lab in June this year.

“My experience has been amazing. My colleagues have been amazing, welcoming and very willing to share their experience with us youngsters. I am currently working with compaction and classifying the appropriate material for road layers. What I love about this department is that it gives you the fundamentals, from the beginning. It builds up your understanding of roads in general and you get to learn more about what is under the black stuff we drive over, and how certain material will behave, and most importantly what the specification says about that material. All the theory and calculations Wits made me do are now being turned into reality,” said Motedi.

The TEA video can be found here: https://we.tl/t-57IBVP7Mnl

Stop-go traffic control on the N2 Section 13 between Makhanda and Fish River Pass

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Immediate

Stop-go traffic control on the N2 Section 13 between Makhanda and Fish River Pass

Eastern Cape, 15 August 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) wishes to notify travellers that remedial work is taking place on the N2 from Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) to Fish River Pass until mid-December 2022. Stop-go traffic control is currently underway to accommodate half-width construction works and will operate for a full 24 hours each day, including weekends.

The works will include stop-go controls between the Coombs turn-off at km 79.5 to km 85 and at km 88.5 to km 92 at Frasers Camp where works are being carried out on one half of the road. Motorists are advised to obey the speed restrictions, consider the safety of road workers and other road users, and to be aware of loose stones on the roadway.

Motorists are advised that the stop-go control from km 88.5 to km 92 is in the westbound direction, towards Makhanda.

Future works will include a stop-go control between km 79.5 to km 85.

Motorists travelling westwards between East London or Qonce (formerly King Williams Town) and Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) may consider using the following alternative route:

  • From East London, follow the R72 to Port Alfred and Kenton-on-Sea through to Nanaga and turn left onto the N2 and continue on to Gqeberha.

Motorists travelling eastwards between Gqeberha and Qonce or East London may consider using the following alternative routes:

  • From Gqeberha, follow the N2 to Nanaga and turn right onto the R72 at the junction at Nanaga and proceed via Alexandria and Port Alfred to East London.
  • From East London, turn left onto the N2 and travel westwards through to Qonce.

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

SANRAL sets aside more than R196m for Gamtoos, Van Stadens rivers special maintenance project

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Kouga Local Municipality Speaker of Council, Brenton Wiliams addressed stakeholders at the Information Session held in Jeffrey’s Bay.

MEDIA RELEASE

SANRAL sets aside more than R196m for Gamtoos, Van Stadens rivers special maintenance project

Eastern Cape, 16 August 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has set aside more than R196 million for a special maintenance project of the N2 national road between Gamtoos and Van Stadens rivers in the Eastern Cape Province.

Addressing an information session of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in Jeffreys Bay, Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL Southern Region Stakeholder Coordinator, said SANRAL recognises the continuous role that it plays in developing the infrastructure of the national road network, creating job opportunities for local community members, and developing their skills in the region.

“We want the community of Kouga Local Municipality to benefit immensely from this project. Designated groups from previously disadvantaged communities will be targeted to work on the project. This includes young people, women and people with disabilities,” she said.

The project was handed over to the main contractor in June this year and work is anticipated to be completed in December 2023. The project is expected to take more than 18 months and work that will be executed will include resurfacing the 19km stretch of road as well as repairing the pavements.Advertisements of the various contractor packages will be advertised soon.

The project is currently in the mobilisation phase. This is the phase in which the appointed contractor on the project will interact with the community and set up Contract Participation Goals (CPG). This is the amount that will be allocated to the development of SMMEs in the area. This interaction usually takes place over three months.

Ndika also presented SANRAL’s 14 Point Plan, which is the road agency’s guide to to facilitate better project level liaison with local communities and structures that are affected by its projects. It strives to ensure transparency and inclusivity among those who work on its projects.

“It is also our wish that when this project starts, we will already have established a project liaison committee (PLC) on this project. The PLC will assist in ensuring better communication and transparency as well as ensuring that work done is done seamlessly on this project.

“The PLC will also assist in creating a platform for project liaison, works execution, subcontracting and facilitating employment opportunities for local community members. All community representatives – including the youth, women, people with disabilities and military veterans – must be represented in the PLC,” said Ndika.

Speaker of the Kouga Local Municipality Council Brenton Williams said the municipality was a tourist destination.

“We need our road network to be maintained so we can remain a tourist destination of choice,” said Williams.

Chief Wayne Peterson, of the Links Khoisan Council in Kouga.

Chief Wayne Peterson, of the Links Khoisan Council in Kouga, thanked SANRAL for bringing economic opportunities to the Kouga community.

“Speaking on behalf of the community of Kouga, we thank SANRAL for bringing these opportunities to our people. By bringing these kinds of opportunities, our communities will be given an opportunity to participate in economic endeavours. These projects should also help to uplift our communities through social projects. They should reinvest in our communities and commit to assist through these social projects,” he said.

The N2 national road between Gamtoos and Van Stadens rivers is one of the busiest roads, with the average daily movement of traffic at 8 000 vehicles, with trucks accounting for just over a 1 200, according to traffic count data.

SANRAL continuously strives to strengthen its relationship with stakeholders who are affected by its projects through these information sessions. The sessions are not only a platform for the roads agency to share information about job opportunities on its projects, but also a platform to share information about its transformation policy and Horizon 2030 Strategy.

Since introducing the Horizon 2030 Strategy, SANRAL has empowered local communities and SMMEs with information, giving them opportunities and enabling them to partner with more established construction companies on its projects.

 

 

Eastern Cape Province ready to eradicate potholes

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MEC of Transport, Safety and Liaison, Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe, launched the pothole repair project called Operation Vala Zonke in the Eastern Cape on the R346 route between Mount Coke and the East London Airport in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.

MEDIA RELEASE
Eastern Cape Province ready to eradicate potholes

Eastern Cape, 10 August 2022: MEC of Transport, Safety and Liaison Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe launched the programme to fix potholes in the Eastern Cape, called Operation Vala Zonke, on the R346 route between Mount Coke and the East London Airport in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, on Monday. The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) will take the lead in this national project and will work with the provincial Department of Transport to fix potholes on all surfaced provincial roads.

The provincial launch was part of the national Vala Zonke Campaign launched by the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, in Sedibeng, Gauteng on Monday. The Minister launched the campaign concurrently with Members of Provincial Executives Councils (MECs) responsible for transport across all provinces.

The National Department of Transport is supporting District Municipalities with Road Infrastructure Planning through the Rural Road Asset Management Systems Grant (RRAMSG), as provided for in the Division of Revenue Act (DORA).

The Department has been hard at work intensifying interventions aimed at addressing challenges relating to road infrastructure with a comprehensive plan to address potholes in provinces, with SANRAL leading the labour-intensive national project.

Tikana-Gxothiwe said the province was aligning their work with Operation Valazonke to eradicate the potholes. She said the EC DoT had planned to fix 65 000m² of potholes in the province and set aside a budget of R49 million.
“The lack of financial resources can be attributed to the reason why the roads have not been maintained as well as not monitoring progress of work. There is a backlog of road maintenance. All our citizens want surface roads which is a challenge because of a lack of financial resources and projects not being monitored on a regular basis. More resources are needed to assist meeting our target. SANRAL is taking over five roads in the province, which is great.

“We have done good work in the Sarah Baartman District Municipality, and we are busy working in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. We will continue to work in Alfred Nzo District Municipality. We try to work with the communities,” said Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe.

She also commended SANRAL for launching an App which can be used to report and monitor potholes. “We appreciate the APP which is introduced by SANRAL. The APP will assist us a lot with identifying and reporting potholes and to speed up the repair time,” said Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe.

Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL Southern Region Manager, said as a state-owned entity, SANRAL in the region will work with the Eastern Cape Department of Transport. “SANRAL will lead the fixing of potholes programme and provide technical support to the province,” said Peterson.

Peterson added that fixing potholes will improve road infrastructure. “We have to maintain our road network to provide world-class road network,” said Peterson.

Video of MEC of Transport, Safety and Liaison Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe: https://we.tl/t-tMrTIYe7Dg

Government working to put potholes in the past

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MEDIA RELEASE 

Government working to put potholes in the past 

Northern Cape,10 August 2022 – Potholes will no longer be tolerated on South African roads. This was the message of Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, and the MEC of Roads and Public Works, Ms Fufe Makatong, when they launched Operation Vala Zonke, a campaign to fix potholes nationally, on the R374 just outside Barkley West on Monday.

The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) will be the lead implementing agency on the pothole repair project, but will work closely with provincial and municipal roads departments throughout the country.

“Contrary to public sentiment, potholes are not only a symptom of roads that are not maintained. Like many other roads in the country, the R374, which is the main link between the R31 and the N12, has reached its design life, and the ever-increasing heavy vehicle traffic does not aid matters,” said Ms Makatong.

For 20km of the section from N12 to Barkley West, a light rehabilitation was completed in 2020, including the road being widened from 6m to 7.4m.

The 18km to Barkley West, which is the remaining section, currently shows defects which include potholes, edge breaks and crocodile cracks. The scope of the rehabilitation includes:

  • Potholes repairs in the middle portion,
  • In-situ recycling and stabilisation of a portion of the base and gravel shoulder (2.4m width),
  • The gravel shoulders will be repaired to correct the edge drops,
  • The middle portion will be treated with ralumac slurry, and
  • The full road width will be sealed with double seal, using rubber modified bitumen.

“No country in the world is without potholes. How we manage it, repair and then put a long-term maintenance strategy in place will determine the eventual state of our roads. SANRAL is committed to working with the Northern Cape Provincial Government. We commend them for the quantity and quality of the data that the province submits in order for us to accurately assess the state of the roads,” said Randall Cable, SANRAL’s Western Region Manager.

The national pothole repair campaign was officially launched by Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, in Gauteng, with simultaneous provincial activations across all South Africa’s provinces, being spearheaded by the various provincial governments.

Part of the launch included the introduction of a new Pothole Web App which the public can use to report potholes in their vicinity. The App will allow the public to raise any issues (such as uploading pictures, details of the issue and get real-time location of the road where the issue is raised) on an interactive map that will show the owners of the different roads, as well as get status updates on issues raised using a pothole ticketing system.

“We are confident that this technology will allow us to engage our road users, respond to their needs and keep them informed of the progress, every step of the way,” said Dr Saul.

“Operation Vala Zonke is also geared to address youth unemployment, as we are using students who have completed training in road construction, to work on the pothole repairs, along with our internal resources,” said Ms Makatong.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula launches Operation Vala Zonke to fix South Africa’s potholes

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Media Release

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula launches Operation Vala Zonke to fix South Africa’s potholes

Johannesburg, 8 August 20202 – Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula launched a national campaign to fix potholes on South African roads on Monday, and appealed to provinces, municipalities, the private sector and the public to get behind the campaign, which will be known as Operation Vala Zonke in Nguni or Operation Kwala Kaofela in Sesotho.

The campaign to fix potholes, which was launched on the R57 in the Emfuleni Local Municipality south of Johannesburg, will be led by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL), as an agency of the National Department of Transport. SANRAL will be working closely with provincial and municipal roads departments. “This is an important campaign that will make a huge difference in the lives of many South Africans. It will change the face of our municipal and provincial roads from pothole-riddled to an acceptable state of repair. This launch will be replicated across the country with Premiers and MECs leading Provincial launches in all nine provinces,” said Minister Mbalula. “This is not just a project to make people feel nice, but it is about real implementation. We are changing the way government does things. We are going beyond the big launches and getting things done.”

Minister Mbalula said President Cyril Ramaphosa would be visiting Emfuleni on Friday, 12 August, for a Presidential Imbizo, and it was important for people to feel the impact of projects making a difference in their lives, such as the pothole repair campaign. “All the potholes across South Africa will need to be closed and there is a lot of work to be done in this regard by SANRAL in conjunction with the MECs and Mayors throughout the country.

Minister Mbalula said the reality of potholes hit home for him when he undertook an inspection of the N12 national road in Wolmaransstad in the North-West earlier this year, as a follow-up on that province’s Presidential Imbizo held in March. “This is the reality of many communities in all our provinces. The bad roads, caused mainly by potholes, are one of the major hindrances to economic growth.” He also said service delivery was often hampered by corruption. “Corruption not only eats into the social fibre of our society, but it also impacts on the integrity of the work that government does to deliver services to our people. Often, the money is spent and the work is not done, but some civil servant or politician has become rich. To prevent corruption, Operation Vala Zonke must contain consequence management measures. Where there is corruption, it must be dealt with decisively.” Minister Mbalula said the national policy on road infrastructure was anchored in the National Development Plan “which enjoins us to invest in a strong network of economic infrastructure designed to support the country’s medium- and long-term objectives if we are to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth by 2030. Achieving this vision requires targeted development of transport, as one of the sectors that makes up the network industries”. Government’s infrastructure development plan is an important building block in revitalising South Africa’s economy and job creation, he said. “This will, in turn, exponentially improve our efforts to ensure sustainable livelihoods for many of our people. “Addressing the maintenance challenges and backlog in our road network starts with putting in place measures that will halt the deterioration of our roads. Attending to potholes as soon as possible after they occur is the most effective way to arrest this decline.” The majority of potholes, he said, are found on municipal and provincial roads. “In the main, our national roads remain pothole free, largely because of SANRAL’s proactive approach to fixing potholes. SANRAL has a policy of fixing any reported potholes within 48 hours. While national roads are overwhelmingly in a pristine condition, we recognise that provincial and municipal roads require a decisive strategy and active support to augment capacity gaps. “Potholes remain a problem and pose a danger to road users throughout the country. Potholes are particularly dangerous at night or in rainy weather. “Having said that, it does not give a justification for a drunk or dangerous drivers to blame potholes. We continue to appeal to motorists to drive safely on our roads, irrespective of whether there are potholes or not, and we will continue and do better to design and build our roads in a way that is most safe for all road users.” He said that complaints about potholes dominate social media and are a major contributor to negative sentiment towards the government and the country. “We are proud to announce that, as part of this campaign, we are launching a pothole reporting App, which the public will be able to use to report any potholes they might encounter. “The App will work in conjunction with the SANRAL pothole management App and will allow the public to raise any issues, upload pictures of potholes, provide real-time location of the road on an interactive map that will show the owners of the different roads. The app will also provide status updates on issues raised using a pothole ticketing system. “The information then gets assigned to the relevant authority, depending on where the road is, and the maintenance depot responsible for that road attends to fixing the pothole,” said Minister Mbalula. The SANRAL Pothole App is immediately available on the App Store for Apple devices and it will be available to Android users within the next few days. “Over the next six months we will closely monitor and assess the impact of the interventions. A monitoring and evaluation capability has 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 in attending to potholes. Through this intervention, we are raising the bar on service delivery by ensuring that the voice of the citizen is heard.” Mbalula singled out the role of the media in shining a light on government’s activities. “I am very proud of the work that the media does to ensure we deliver proper services. On behalf of society, you are holding us accountable with regards to service delivery.” He said it was critically important to involve the private sector in the pothole repair campaign. “As part of our stakeholder engagements, we will reach out to private companies, communities and other stakeholders to play their part in supporting government efforts to preserve and improve our road infrastructure. “Through partnerships with institutions of learning and the sectoral education and training authorities, we will infuse a strong skills development methodology to the intervention. A skills revolution must become a pillar of this intervention at all levels of government,” said Minister Mbalula.

MINISTER MBALULA ROLLS OUT NATIONAL VALA ZONKE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME TO ADDRESS POTHOLES

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MINISTER MBALULA ROLLS OUT NATIONAL VALA ZONKE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME TO ADDRESS POTHOLES

The Minister of Transport, Mr. Fikile Mbalula will officially roll out a labour-intensive programme to address potholes concurrently with Members of Provincial Executives Councils (MECs) responsible for Transport across all provinces.

The main launch will take place in Sedibeng, Gauteng.

The Department of Transport is supporting District Municipalities with ‘Road Infrastructure Planning’ through the Rural Road Asset Management Systems Grant (RRAMSG), as provided for in the Division of Revenue Act (DORA).

The National Department of Transport has been hard at work intensifying interventions aimed at addressing challenges relating to road infrastructure with a comprehensive plan to address potholes across all spheres of government, with the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) leading the labour-intensive national project.

The rollout of this programme will be the implementation of an integrated, rigorous and comprehensive plan that will drive interventions to ensure that the department improves the overall condition index of roads at local and provincial authorities.

The Road Construction and Maintenance Indaba, convened in February 2022 and engagements took place with all Road Authorities.

The Roads Coordination Body was convened in May 2022, and followed by the Road Construction and Maintenance Indaba where provincial authorities detailed strategies to address potholes outlining:

  • the magnitude of potholes in their area of responsibility;
  • existing strategies they are using to fix them; and
  • turnaround time to fix potholes.

The Minister will launch the National Vala Zonke Potholes Programme and detail these interventions.

Members of the media are invited to attend.

Details are indicated below:

 Date: Monday, 8 August 2022

 Time: 07:00a.m

 Venue: R57 Sasolburg, Vanderbijlpark.

GPS Coordinates 26°44’58.5″S 27°49’35.8″E https://goo.gl/maps/FA3rvDEhhb8kdARt5 ;

Members of the media attending the event are requested to confirm their attendance with Mr Esethu Hasane on 071 259 2442 or hasanee@dot.gov.za /Sam Monareng on 073 491 3382 or monarens@dot.gov.za.

Ends- ISSUED BY: National Department of Transport www.transport.gov.za

LinkedIn: National Department of Transport

Twitter: Dotransport

Facebook: DoTransport

Instagram: dotransport

YouTube: DoTransportVideos

 

Media enquiries: Ministry of Transport Spokesperson Lwazi Khoza +27 (81) ?766-2440

MINISTER MBALULA ROLLS OUT A NATIONAL VALA ZONKE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME TO ADDRESS POTHOLES

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MINISTER MBALULA ROLLS OUT A NATIONAL VALA ZONKE COMPREHENSIVE
PROGRAMME TO ADDRESS POTHOLES

The Minister of Transport, Mr. Fikile Mbalula will officially roll out a labour intensive programme to address potholes concurrently with Members of Provincial Executives Councils (MECs) responsible for Transport across all provinces.

The main launch will take place in Sedibeng, Gauteng.

The Department of Transport is supporting District Municipalities with ‘Road Infrastructure Planning’ through the Rural Road Asset Management Systems Grant (RRAMSG), as provided for in the Division of Revenue Act (DORA).

The National Department of Transport has been hard at work intensifying interventions aimed at addressing challenges relating to road infrastructure with a comprehensive plan to address potholes across all spheres of government, with the South African National Roads
Agency (SANRAL) leading the labour-intensive national project.

The rollout of this programme will be the implementation of an integrated, rigorous and comprehensive plan that will drive interventions to ensure that the department improves the overall condition index of roads at local and provincial authorities.

The Road Construction and Maintenance Indaba, convened in February 2022 and engagements took place with all Road Authorities. The Roads Coordination Body was convened in May 2022, and followed by the Road Construction and Maintenance Indaba
where provincial authorities detailed strategies to address potholes outlining:

  • the magnitude of potholes in their area of responsibility;
  • existing strategies they are using to fix them;
  • turnaround time to fix potholes;

The Minister will launch the National Vala Zonke Potholes Programme and detail these interventions.

Members of the media are invited to attend.

Details are indicated below:

Date: Monday, 8 August 2022
Time: 07:00a.m
Venue: R57 Sasolburg, Vanderbijlpark.
GPS Coordinates 26°44’58.5″S 27°49’35.8″E
https://goo.gl/maps/FA3rvDEhhb8kdARt5

Members of the media attending the event are requested to confirm their attendance with Mr Esethu Hasane on 071 259 2442 or hasanee@dot.gov.za/Sam Monareng on 073 491 3382 or monarens@dot.gov.za.
Ends-
ISSUED BY: National Department of Transport

www.transport.gov.za
LinkedIn: National Department of Transport
Twitter: Dotransport
Facebook: DoTransport
Instagram: dotransport
YouTube: DoTransportVideos

Media enquiries: Ministry of Transport Spokesperson
Lwazi Khoza +27 (81) 766-2440

Ends-

ISSUED BY:
Department of Transport

www.transport.gov.za

Inquiries: Mr. Collen Msibi. Head of Communications -082 414 5279 / msibic@dot.gov.za

www.transport.gov.za
LinkedIn: National Department of Transport
Twitter: Dotransport
Facebook: DoTransport
Instagram: dotransport
YouTube: DoTransportVideos

Update of road construction plans shared with stakeholders and community members in Viedgesville

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Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL Southern Region Stakeholder Coordinator, shared SANRAL’s road construction plans for the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality with residents and stakeholders. The Taking SANRAL to the People stakeholder engagement was held at the Viedgesville Community Hall.

MEDIA RELEASE
Update of road construction plans shared with stakeholders and community members in Viedgesville

Eastern Cape, 3 August 2022: The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has shared ongoing and planned project details with stakeholders’ and residents of King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality.

SANRAL hosted its Taking SANRAL to the People engagement session with King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality and provided an update of the Viedgesville to Mthatha project with stakeholders and residents last week (Wednesday 27 July).

This engagement was a follow-up meeting with the stakeholders and residents. SANRAL engaged community members of Maqhinebeni, Qweqwe, KwaPayne and Viedgesville villages in May this year.
Councillor Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo, the MMC for Rural and Economic Development of KSD Local Municipality, encouraged stakeholders and residents to participate in the project.

“The presence of the community is very important during these meetings. When project information is shared you understand what the project is about and know that the development is for everyone to benefit,” said Dudumayo.

Chief Bhovulengwe Mtirara, of Viedgesville, welcomed the project. “We support the project one hundred percent. This road is a high accident zone. Almost daily we will hear of pedestrians, motorists or livestock involved in an accident. We will no longer allow people to build along the road. We also welcome that SANRAL is taking over the road to Coffee Bay and we wish SANRAL could take over the maintenance and construction of more roads,” said Mtirara.

“The N2 from Viedgesville to Mthatha project will include an upgrade to a four-lane divided by the median or physical barrier to a dual carriageway, improvements to intersections and interchanges on the road, construction of agricultural underpasses, provision of pedestrian bridges, strengthening of the existing pavement, road signage and marking, and streetlights, to mention a few. The estimated allocated budget on this project is R1.1 billion and the project is still in the design phase. The main contractor has not yet been appointed,” said Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL Southern Region Stakeholder Coordinator.

“The community development project, on the other hand, will entail the construction of community access roads that are adjacent to the N2 national road. The tender for the main contractor is at the procurement stage and the estimated project value is R250 million. These projects will create much needed jobs for the local community, and they will also be trained to work on these projects,” said Ndika.

The upgrade of the National Route N2 Section 18 from Viedgesville (km 65.0) to Mthatha (km 85.0) is currently undergoing stakeholder interventions and social facilitation that will affect landowners and relocation of affected properties are underway. The consultant appointed is Gibb (Pty) Ltd. The project is in the design phase. The main contractor has not yet been appointed. The estimated project budget will be R1.1 billion, including VAT.

Vuyokazi Mayeza, SANRAL’s social facilitator on the project, explained that the PLC is still being established. “The process to start a PLC started last year and continued and the arrangement is that each area must have a business presentative as well as women and youth representatives,” said Mayeza.

Ndika also spoke about SANRAL’s 14 Point Plan, as well the formation of the Project Liaison Committees (PLC). She also spoke about the tender process for targeted enterprises, the tender evaluation process, training and skills development, and community development (CD) projects. She also shared information about SANRAL’s continuing role in infrastructure development and job creation and skills development.