GREETINGS to GP residents! It gives me great pleasure to share some of our work in this vibrant and dynamic province. Our achievements would not have been possible without the valuable partnerships we enjoy with key stakeholders in Gauteng.

Due to the current economic climate, SANRAL, like many other institutions, faces the challenge of inadequate funding to expand and maintain the network of road infrastructure required in Gauteng. This is a serious challenge that threatens to slow down the pace of infrastructure development across the country. However, through engagement with National Treasury, our shareholder (represented by the Minister of Transport), provincial and local roads authorities, industry and road users, we remain confident that we will find solutions for the upkeep of the road network.

We have started engagements on the planning required for the expansion of the freeway network in Gauteng, to ensure mobility and safeguard the economy of the province. This process is crucial, because the existing freeways are projected to suffer serious congestion in the medium term. SANRAL realises the importance of finding a solution to the challenge presented by e-tolls. We will continue to engage in this regard, led by the Minister of Transport. It is our hope that the Minister will soon be able engage his Cabinet colleagues on the options available to the government to address this matter.

Our partnerships with other road authorities and metropolitan governments in Gauteng are showing visible results. Most road users will be familiar with the major roadworks that have been in progress for the past two years on the M1 freeway running through Johannesburg. This was a collaboration between SANRAL and the Johannesburg Roads Agency and included major improvements to the road and repairs to some critical bridges.

We are also working closely with the province and the RTMC to improve road safety through the deployment of intelligent transport systems to ensure effective law enforcement and road network surveillance.

Design work is under way for upgrading the Gauteng section of the R573 Moloto Road. This road traverses the three provinces – Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo – and we have already started construction on the Mpumalanga and Limpopo sections. Not only will the improved road make for safer travel; it will ensure seamless mobility and help stimulate the regional economy.

There are many considerations that go into maintaining our national roads. Climate change has made flash-floods more extreme when they occur and these floods have serious implications for our of the country’s road infrastructure, worth billions of rands, runs through this province. It is bordered by four provinces and located in close proximity to four neighbouring countries, providing access to ports and markets in the entire region. SANRAL’s role as the custodian of the country’s primary road network was highlighted by Minister of Transport Joe Maswanganyi when he recently launched the agency’s draft Transformation Policy and long-term strategy, Horizon 2030. He noted that South Africa has embarked on a process of fundamental transformation that clears the path for inclusive economic growth and development. Broad-based transformation will mobilise investment, create jobs and empower citizens. The government is determined to change the face of the economy to reflect properly the demographics of the country. This process will be guided by the NDP. A key objective of the NDP is to unlock opportunities to ensure the economic participation of previously disadvantaged people. Gauteng can national infrastructure and mobility. Following a major downpour in late 2016 – described as a 1-in-200-year flood – SANRAL’s engineers have carried out major inspections of the road network and maintenance teams have cleared drainage systems that were blocked by debris and obstructions.

We have reviewed SANRAL’s journey over the past 19 years and have developed a new long-term strategy, Horizon 2030. Launched by the Minister of Transport in September 2017, the strategy outlines our focus over the next 13 years in terms of road infrastructure, community development, road safety, research and innovation, skills development and funding sustainability. The strategy also provides a framework for transformation that seeks to ensure inclusivity in the economic activities generated by SANRAL. A Transformation Policy has been drafted, which outlines the interventions to be pursued to ensure increased participation of black business across various sectors, with the necessary support mechanisms.

We will intensify our bursary and scholarship programmes, using our employment equity targets as a guideline. Supporting deserving students creates a solid pipeline for the SANRAL workforce and it contributes to a skills pool that will benefit the entire market.

SANRAL has a long road ahead, but we are confident that we will realise the goals and objectives set for us by the government through the strengthening of existing and establishment of new relationships. And Gauteng, as the country’s industrial heartland, occupies a strategic position in those relationships.

Skhumbuzo Macozoma is SANRAL’s CEO