HELLO FREE STATE

A CATALYST FOR EMPOWERMENT

DUMISANI NKABINDE

Road construction machinery dots the landscape of the Free State as national roads are upgraded and new bridges built.

At the same time, SANRAL is on a drive to inform its stakeholders of the opportunities that exist in the construction industry.

Infrastructure development will be used as a catalyst for job creation and

enterprise development.

The roads agency has had meetings with the Free State provincial government. It is proposed that a Strategic Transport Forum – comprising provincial government (as a chairperson), SANRAL and municipal representatives – be formed to align messages aimed at transport-related industry stakeholders.

All transport entities will participate in the coordinated planning of initiatives and will speak with a single voice on transport issues.

SANRAL will draw from Horizon 2030, its renewed statement of intent of how the agency will grow to

deliver a national road system that contributes to a better South Africa for all. In tandem with Horizon 2030, SANRAL will give real meaning to its Transformation Policy, which recognises the critical role SANRAL plays in the construction, engineering and related sectors. SANRAL is mindful of the impact that procurement and employment practices in these industries have on millions of people across South Africa. We accept our responsibility to help transform these sectors and to maximise the participation of black contractors, professionals and suppliers beyond the current regulatory levels, in all aspects of our business.

As a responsible state-owned entity, SANRAL wants to play a leadership role in sectors of the economy that are critical to job creation, skills development and community empowerment.

We want to set high standards for ourselves and encourage our partners and stakeholders in these industries to join us in the quest to transform the South African economy.

Dumisani Nkabinde is SANRAL’s Eastern Region Manager

PROGRESS ON N5: Harrismith to Industriqwa

The N5 has been upgraded between Harrismith and Industriqwa at an investment of R290m.

The contract involved a 6km section of the N5 from the N3/N5 interchange to Industriqwa.

The project included the construction of a new interchange, where Murray Street links the N5 to Harrismith CBD.

Eastern Region Project Manager Andrew Ssekayita said that a major reason for the improvement has been the high volume of traffic between QwaQwa and Harrismith.

The project involves grade separation and new interchange ramps at the N5/Murray Street intersection; widening the road to four lanes and corresponding widening of four bridges; construction of a new two-lane bridge over the Wilge River at Murray Street; closure of an intersection on the N5 and

provision of a new access road from Murray Street; as well as provision of taxi lay-bys and pedestrian facilities at the interchange.

A total of 226 labourers were employed on site. Of the 29 subcontractors, 22 are SMMEs.

In keeping with legislation of the South African Heritage Resources Agency, any structure more than 60 years old must be protected in terms of heritage requirements.

SANRAL left the historical single-lane Hamilton Bridge over the Wilge River intact and instead constructed a new double-lane bridge next to the current one on Murray Street.

During the Anglo Boer War (1899-1902), British troops were deployed near Basuto Hill – the area known as Wilgepark. To enable the soldiers encamped in that area to reach the town, a suspension bridge was built

over the Wilge River by the Royal Engineers for easy crossing.

The structure was washed away in March 1904. By then, the regiments were gradually moving to barracks on King’s Hill and complete repair of the bridge seemed unnecessary. The troops made a temporary footbridge of planks resting on barrels.

Today, at the same spot, a sturdier structure, called the Hamilton Bridge, named after Sir Hamilton Goold- Adams, governor of the Orange River Colony, stands as a historical artefact. It was opened to traffic on 7 August 1907.