Taking SANRAL to KwaMhlanga
SANRAL is creating a stronger role for local communities in road construction projects. As part of this drive, the agency embarked on a countrywide roadshow in 2017 to explain its longterm strategy, Horizon 2030, and draft Transformation Policy. It has hosted some 40 sessions in all nine provinces to inform stakeholders about opportunities that will open up for joint ventures with small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).
In March, SANRAL held an engagement session focused on the transformation of the construction industry and job creation for the community of KwaMhlanga, located next to the Moloto Road (R573), which is being upgraded. The meeting was attended by more than 150 members of the community, small business owners, entrepreneurs and traditional and community leaders.
Ismael Essa, Transformation Manager at SANRAL, said: “Our approach to job creation and the participation of small business in major projects is a good example of how SANRAL wants to transform the construction and engineering sectors.”
Another element of Horizon 2030 is to ensure skills
training and the transfer of knowledge and experience
to contractors and labourers. Joint venture partners
will benefit from on-the-job experience, and training
and learnership will be provided to subcontractors
and local SMMEs.
The objectives are to empower small businesses,
allocate a growing portion of the agency’s budget
to emerging contractors and transfer skills and
experience so that these contractors will in future be
able to become major players in their own right.
Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) is the day-to-day maintenance of the road network. This includes filling potholes, cutting grass, repairing damaged guardrails hit by cars, fixing road signs, cleaning stormwater culverts, removing dead animals and clearing the road after accidents.
There are seven such RRM projects on roads in Mpumalanga, including Moloto Road, with seven contractors and seven subcontractors. When subcontractors are appointed, projects are subdivided into packages, such as general maintenance, pavement, grass-cutting and ad hoc maintenance for road shoulders. RRM is an ongoing process. Projects run in three-year cycles, with an option to extend by two years. Before the contract runs out, it goes out to tender to make sure there are new service providers to take over.
While local SMMEs are usually given preferential treatment, there may be some who feel excluded from participating in SANRAL projects. In order to be considered when tendering, it is important to make sure that documents are correct and up to date and that people with technical knowledge and experience are employed. Be on the lookout for tenders on the SANRAL and Treasury websites – www.nra.co.za and www.treasury.gov.za respectively.