N2 Wild Coast legacy project empowers women
Twelve women from the communities of Mtentu and Lusikisiki (OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo Districts), recently completed a training programme that has provided them with the skills needed to sew overalls for contractors and labourers working on the Mtentu Bridge construction project.
The group of trainees comprised five women and one man from Mtentu on the North Bank of the bridge, as well as seven women and one man from Lusikisiki on the South Bank.The group underwent further training through a business skills programme in June.
Contractor training executive Robert Simelane of Aveng Grinaker-LTA, the main contractors for the construction of the bridge, said: “The plan is to set the group up into two cooperatives tasked with branding protective equipment, as well as sewing overalls for the contractors and Mtentu Bridge project labourers.”
“We want this group to be selfsufficient when the Mtentu Bridge project concludes,” he said. Iphulo Lamampondokazi Primary Cooperative, a local cooperative comprised of three beadwork
trainers and two sewing trainers, was subcontracted by Aveng Grinaker-LTA to administer the training programme.
Lead trainer Buyiswa Mdontso (Sis B) said that the group was quick to learn. “For some, it was their first interaction with a sewing machine. The training covered tracksuit and overalls sewing techniques. Such training presents the trainees an opportunity to generate additional income through sewing tracksuits for local schools,” she said.
SANRAL Southern Region Community Development Specialist Mongezi Noah said the trainees were selected by the project liaison committee because of their reputation for good-quality work.
“The community was consulted and agreed that these are the type of people they could send for training.
These individuals were not working and thSe only thing that helps them put food on the table is sewing. But living in rural areas where people seldom use heir services makes them suffer even more,” he said.
“The intention is for them to continue with the skill, expanding it to tourism by supplying traditional garments and many other things that would provide stock for an envisaged tourist centre at the bridge.
Not to mention that they will create more ob opportunities for the amaMpondo community.”
Nompumelelo Nokoni, one of the women trainees, said she developed an interest in the programme because it would contribute towards her independence.
“Through this programme, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience. I did not even know how to operate a sewing machine before and now I can operate it with ease,” she said.
Reflecting on how she plans to use her skill beyond the Mtentu Bridge construction project, Nombuyiselo Phiwayo said: “The aim is to do good in this project and impress SANRAL to hire us as permanent employees, so that I can take care of myself and family.”
Sibongiseni Ntsema, a local well known for his work, was selected to ensure that people living with disabilities also benefit from the project. Ntsema is wheelchair-bound.
“In the past, I could only sew traditional clothing, so I now have an added skill. They have also promised to get me an arm-roller sewing machine to make things easier for me,” he said.
The Mtentu Bridge project forms part of the greenfields portion of SANRAL’s N2 Wild Coast Road project, which extends 560km from the Gonubie interchange in East London to the Isipingo interchange south of Durban, and is set to save road users up to three hours of travel time when it is complete.
Approximately R4m has been spent on local subcontractors, SMMEs and local suppliers on the Mtentu Bridge construction project – a considerable contribution to the local economy and job creation.
At the end of the 40-month construction period, the 1.1km long Mtentu Bridge will break records as the highest bridge in Africa and the Southern Hemisphere at 223m up.
Healthy workers for better roads
SANRAL is committed to the quality of the country’s national roads, but also to the quality of life of its workers. It implements a wellness programme that paves the way to a happier, healthier construction industry.
While the agency is focused on its mandate of improving and maintaining the national road network, it has also placed an emphasis on restoring and maintaining the dignity of labourers working on its projects, along with their families, by implementing an integrated wellness programme on all Limpopo routine road maintenance (RRM) projects.
The wellness programme, which is centred on health-risk assessment, facilitation of health topics and monitoring, has been running concurrently with the 12 RRM projects from January 2016. Testing for HIV, TB, cholesterol, glucose and body mass index has provided valuable insights
and led to the establishment of an emergency 24/7 call centre that workers can use for health management and counselling.
The call centre grants employees and their family members’ access to biological monitoring and psychological counselling that helps with stress management, substance abuse and critical incident management.
SANRAL’s management team fully acknowledges that it is important to invest in bringing health resources to the people who work on its projects.
SANRAL Communications Manager Vusi Mona said: “Our mandate is to build a better South Africa for all citizens. While we are achieving this through the improvement of our roads, it is important to us that those who actually get their hands dirty to achieve this are also well taken care of.” Besides the obvious health benefit implementation of
the wellness programme has also had an impact on unemployment in project areas.
On each project SANRAL undertakes, it appoints a Wellness Champion – tasked specifically with educating and informing labourers on healthy living.
“We strive to create better working conditions on a daily basis,” he said.
According to Tshegare Moletsane, SANRAL Project Manager in Limpopo, educating labourers has brought about considerable changes. It has dealt with the stigma around HIV/Aids and more men on site have embraced the importance of being tested and knowing their state of health.
Following the many successes of the rollout, SANRAL has taken this programme countrywide. “And with its footprint across South Africa, one can only imagine the impact it has had on communities across the country,” said Mona.
