The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) said on Monday that it expects to inject close to R2 billion in the Eastern Cape.
Sanral is in the process of implementing a three year maintenance project for the Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
The agency said that it hopes to implement two road infrastructure development projects in the municipality that will provide improvements of the R61 national road between All Saints and Bayiza, as well as road improvements of the R61 national road between Qumanco and Ngcobo.
It is expected that the projects will include the upgrading of roads, bridges and culverts in the area that will in turn lead to better road safety.
Small businesses will benefit
Sanral said that the agency has set aside a minimum of 30% of the project value to be subcontracted to small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) and a minimum of 8% of the project value will be set aside for local labour.
Project liaison committees (PLCs) would be established to ensure better communication and transparency on Sanral projects, as well as ensuring that work done on projects is seamless, said Sanral’s southern region’s stakeholder coordinator Welekazi Ndika.
“PLCs will assist in creating a platform for project liaison, works execution, subcontracting and facilitating employment opportunities for local community members. These include young people, women, people with disabilities and military veterans. Local subcontractors and communities must benefit from our projects, and we value transparency with communities on these contracts,” Ndika said.
Business training
Zenande Mpondo, part of Sanral’s southern region’s transformation unit noted that the organisation would be involved in training SMME contractors to upskill their business development and tendering skills.
“All small, micro and medium enterprises will be required to undertake assessment and class activities during the training, and they will have to demonstrate competence to be awarded the unit standard,” Mpondo concluded.
R6 billion investment
Sanral said in January that the agency had a R28 billion boost for the construction industry after some 70 new tenders would be put to the market in 2024.
Sanral CEO Reginald Demana said they had closed 77 tenders worth R6.43bn in December 2023. They intended to put out at least another 70 tenders to the market in the first few months of 2024.
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