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TRANSPORT Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has applauded the socio-economic impact of the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited’s (SANRAL) R3 billion road infrastructure investment in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) and surrounding areas, during an oversight visit recently.
The minister’s visit covered four SANRAL projects, the N2 Green River to Buffalo River valued at R655 million, the N2 Belstone and Breidbach interchanges valued at R438 million, Kwa-Tshatshu Community Development Project valued at R24 million, and the Kwa-Rhayi Community Development Project valued at R30.8 million.
According to a media release by SANRAL, these projects have generated more than 1 000 jobs, with around R155 million spent on labour, 230 small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) have been sub-contracted for around R334 million, while over 1 200 people have received theoretic and practical training, with a budget of close to R10 million.
The minister led a delegation including members of the Eastern Cape Executive Council, mayors of surrounding municipalities, traditional leadership, and SANRAL board members, to assess the status of the projects.
“I am very happy with the work that I see here. You can’t build such structures without people. Our work is labour intensive, so that you employ people and teach them skills,” said Chikunga, speaking at Tshoxa Bridge 1, near the Buffalo River.
This bridge won a South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) national award for the construction category in 2023.
At the Tshatshu Community Development Project, SANRAL’s efforts to transform the road construction sector were evident, as the constructed work is being done by 31 local SMMEs, 17 of which are owned by women.
“When you come to the Eastern Cape, there is one thing that SANRAL does, and that is to ensure that community development projects happen. It is not just about road building. It is also about investment, because investors will see the good roads and decide to open their companies here which will further aid job creation.”
Chikunga also received updates on the progress of several other SANRAL projects in BCMM and surrounding areas.
. A R1.3 billion improvement of the National Route R63 Sections 15 and 16 Bhisho to N6/R63 Intersection;
. The upgrading of National Route R63 between kilometre 21.7 and the N2 past Qumrha (km 43.64), valued at R983 million.
. The reseal of National Route N2 of Section 16 from Mooiplaas (km 49.9) to Qumrha T-junction (km 70.2), valued at R159 million.
. The R10.5 million upgrade of 1.34km of the Ginsberg Road to a surfaced road.
“The work of the Department of Transport, through our implementing agency, SANRAL, has contributed a major financial injection to the economy of the metro and the Eastern Cape at large. Through this vast road infrastructure development, we not only enabled a conducive environment for the transportation of people and goods, but we have also created tangible opportunities for communities to earn a living, while training, upskilling and developing our emerging contractors, so that they may compete alongside the big players and to self-sustain beyond these projects,” said Chikunga.
Eastern Cape MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Xolile Nqatha, expressed his gratitude for the significant investment that SANRAL was making in the Eastern Cape.
“On behalf of the provincial government, I want to thank SANRAL for turning our province into a construction site.
“It has helped to create jobs and develop small contractors.
“Some of the contractors I have engaged with started out as Grade 1, and some are now Grade 5 and Grade 6. That is called development,” he said.
Furthermore, Chikunga interacted with learners from schools in the metro and surrounding municipalities, through the department’s Shova-Kalula bicycle programme, which is aimed at assisting learners who walk more than three kilometres, but less than five, to and from school, with non-motorised transport solutions.
