Mpumalanga benefits from partnership

Issued by SANRAL
Johannesburg, Jun 21, 2018

"The National Department of Transport expects its agencies to bring value and opportunities when executing their mandates. I'm pleased to have with me today the leadership of SANRAL, ATNS and ACSA to share with Mpumalanga business people the opportunities they have and how to access these."

So said Deputy Minister Sindiswe Chikunga at a meeting convened with representatives of government, civil society, the business sector as well as youth and women at the Valencia Community Hall, in Nelspruit, on Tuesday, 19 June 2018.

In line with government's overall objective of economic development for the province's citizenry, three state-owned entities that report to the Department of Transport met with over 100 stakeholders to reinforce their commitment to be of service to South Africans.

As an example, the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) that manages a total network of 2 478 kilometres in Mpumalanga, has made a large injection in the long run to upgrade and continually maintain the national roads in the province.

Among others, the improvement of the R570, which links the town of Malelane on the N4 in the north to Swaziland at the Jeppe's Reef Border Post, the upgrade of the 54.9km stretch of the R573 Moloto Road, the rehabilitation of the N11 between Hendrina and Middelburg, as well as from Middelburg to Loskop Dam, have been welcome investments.

Speaking about the role of SANRAL in the province, CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma reflected on how some of the critical announcements on infrastructure and development initiatives made in the 2018 State of the Province address and budget have introduced significant potential to transform Mpumalanga's economy.

"As a province, you recognise the value of roads to improve mobility and access to opportunities and many of the new envisaged developments such as the establishment of liberation heritage routes, new agricultural hubs and a revitalised mining sector will depend on the quality of the primary road network, maintained by SANRAL", said Macozoma.

The South African road network is the 10th longest in the world and, by far, the most extensive one on the continent of Africa. Albeit challenging, to ensure it continues to match the best quality roads on the globe, the roads agency has used this as an opportunity to empower local business and residents of the province.

All contracts awarded by the roads agency require principal contractors to sub-contract SMEs, particularly entities with black and women owners. They must also prioritise the hiring of local workers and to train these. Furthermore, to increase local job opportunities, SANRAL has continued to demonstrate its selected labour-intensive construction methods.

"SANRAL has always gone the proverbial extra mile," said Deputy Minister Chikunga, as she recognised the value that the agency has brought. "Its investments are reaping dividends in the actions of those young South Africans who have benefited from SANRAL's interventions and are now prepared to repay society," she continued.

In recent months, the agency has met with communities and stakeholders in Mpumalanga to share its new vision and transformation strategy. Its long-term strategy, Horizon 2030, which has been presented to key stakeholders around the country, is a proactive response to the National Development Plan 2030 (NDP) and aims to deliver on SANRAL's vision of a national transport system that delivers a better South Africa for all.