More than 8,000 jobs will be created by 150 road reconstruction projects in the Eastern Cape in the next three years, with SMMEs in the OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts set for a massive payday.
At least that is what the SA National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) is promising.
The agency, which announced the projects on Thursday, has described them as an “economic lifeline”.
“These projects are expected to create more than 8,000 jobs and see about R2.8bn flow to SMMEs,” it said in a statement.
“The bulk of the SMMEs will be from the OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts.”
The provincial government and municipalities welcomed the announcement, believing it will change communities for the better.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s spokesperson, Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha, said these projects and the expansion of road networks were critical to building the Eastern Cape communities wanted.
“He [Mabuyane] is of the view that such investment will reduce unemployment and poverty and increase economic activities in the province, which include attracting investment to the province,” Sicwetsha said.
“One of the priority areas he has brought to the attention of the national government is to ensure that procurement opportunities in such investments are created for local communities where they qualify [and] jobs are created for the local communities [and] that local communities are trained properly to be able to work on these projects.”
Mabuyane has called on communities to protect teams working on these roads from acts of violence.
Mnquma municipal spokesperson Loyiso Mpalantshane said such projects would not only improve the safety of motorists and pedestrians, but also “lead to a mushrooming of various developments”.
Jobs bonanza as Sanral rolls out roads projects
Image: MARK ANDREWS
More than 8,000 jobs will be created by 150 road reconstruction projects in the Eastern Cape in the next three years, with SMMEs in the OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts set for a massive payday.
At least that is what the SA National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) is promising.
The agency, which announced the projects on Thursday, has described them as an “economic lifeline”.
“These projects are expected to create more than 8,000 jobs and see about R2.8bn flow to SMMEs,” it said in a statement.
“The bulk of the SMMEs will be from the OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts.”
The provincial government and municipalities welcomed the announcement, believing it will change communities for the better.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s spokesperson, Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha, said these projects and the expansion of road networks were critical to building the Eastern Cape communities wanted.
“He [Mabuyane] is of the view that such investment will reduce unemployment and poverty and increase economic activities in the province, which include attracting investment to the province,” Sicwetsha said.
“One of the priority areas he has brought to the attention of the national government is to ensure that procurement opportunities in such investments are created for local communities where they qualify [and] jobs are created for the local communities [and] that local communities are trained properly to be able to work on these projects.”
Mabuyane has called on communities to protect teams working on these roads from acts of violence.
Mnquma municipal spokesperson Loyiso Mpalantshane said such projects would not only improve the safety of motorists and pedestrians, but also “lead to a mushrooming of various developments”.
Mabuyane wants Wild Coast roads upgraded
He said the projects included the construction of a filling station near Ibika township, a golf course precinct and a new shopping centre near the Ndabakazi/Ngqamakhwe intersection.
Two of the major conventional road construction projects will be the Mtentu and Msikaba bridges, which are in the OR Tambo district municipality.
The Mtentu Bridge project involves the construction of a 1,342m reinforced concrete viaduct bridge over the Mtentu River gorge, while the Msikaba Bridge involves the construction of a 580m-span cable stay bridge over the Msikaba River gorge.
Another crucial infrastructural improvement project is the upgrade of the N2 from Viedgesville to Mthatha from a single carriageway to a dual carriageway.
Sanral stakeholder relations manager Siphiwo Mxhosa said this would significantly increase the existing traffic capacity, improve mobility, reduce congestion and improve road safety.
These bridges form the backbone of the greenfield portion of the N2 Wild Coast Toll Road project.
Sanral said it was mindful of the impact the construction industry and its procurement had on millions of people across SA, not just in mainstream locations, but in the heart of the rural areas.
Sanral southern region manager Simon Peterson said Sanral had “a responsibility to make sure people are at the forefront” of the development plans, which was why labour would be sourced locally.
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