THE South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has awarded the main contract for the R1,2 billion upgrade of a 39.4 km stretch of the N2 between kwaBhaca and emaXesibeni (Mount Frere and Mount Ayliff) in the Alfred Nzo district in the Eastern Cape.
Eastern Cape-based Rumdel Cape Construction (Pty) Ltd has been awarded the main contract of the 45-month-long project. It is expected that at least 60 subcontracting opportunities will be created for local SMMEs and at least 500 people will be employed on the project.
The scope of the work includes the widening of the existing cross-section with surfaced shoulders and the introduction of climbing lanes and the construction of three new bridges as well as three major culverts.
The acting speaker for Umzimvubu local Municipality, Nkosomzi Nomnganga, has urged the business forums and the communities to work together to ensure the smooth flow of the project which will bring about much-needed job opportunities and better road infrastructure.
“We urge all stakeholders, including the Project Liaison Committee (PLC), to cooperate with SANRAL to remove all obstacles and resolve all disagreements so that the work doesn’t stop and result in unnecessary financial losses.”
The chairperson of Alfred Nzo Business Forum, Siyabonga Hlalekela, said he has taken one of the four seats allocated to business in the PLC. The composition of the PLC accommodates four business representatives to ensure that SMMEs in both the towns of kwaBhaca and emaXesibeni are represented.
Hlalekela said: “As the Umzimvubu business forum we are happy that we are going to benefit from what is invested and we are hoping that this project will ensure growth for some of our SMMEs.”
He urged the SMME representatives to take part in the training that SANRAL provides through its training service provider, ACS/Tjeka Joint Venture.
ACS/Tjeka Training empowers local people with skills that will enable them to access opportunities made available by SANRAL through the project.
In his presentation, facilitator Zoleka Mathangana urged SMMEs willing to participate in the training to organise themselves according to the areas that they live in, to minimise travel costs.
Participants will obtain skills in preparing tender documents and running their businesses efficiently. They will also receive Construction SETA Accredited certificates.
Rumdel Cape director, Prince Mzwandile Faku, has assured the SMMEs that they will benefit from the project but warned that only those fit for purpose will be awarded subcontracts.
Faku said: “Our aim is to leave a legacy of infrastructure that lasts longer than the guaranteed period and we want local people who participated in the project to have something after we have left the area.”
He said information was key and in the next three months there will be an overflow of information to all key stakeholders.
Stakeholder engagement and communication officer at SANRAL’s Southern Region, Welekazi Ndika, introduced the Contractor and the Supervision Consulting Engineers, Zutari (Pty) Ltd, to the communities.
Ndika urged the Umzimvubu traditional leaders, transport representatives, ratepayers, and the affected wards to elect their representatives to the PLC.
Eastern Cape premier, Oscar Mabuyane said: “We are moving with greater speed by working with SANRAL to construct road arteries that connect our people to social services and economic centres in the N2 Wild Coast. We will soon be breaking ground on the road from Lingeni to Msikaba and from Msikaba to Mtentu.”
He said SANRAL will invest over R4 billion for the construction of the N2 from kwaBhaca to Ngcweleni River, the N2 Ndabakazi Interchange, the N2 from Gamtoos River to Van Stadens River and projects which include the R58 from Cala to Ngcobo, the R336 from Kirkwood to Addo and the R390 from Cradock to Hofmeyer.
