KZN ROAD BUILDERS BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES

Left: Road construction workers busy on a road project Right: General Manager: Strategic Planning, Mr. James Mlawu addresses the ARRUP workshop

Sports fields, community halls, bursaries and free maths and science tuitions are just some of the additional benefits that road construction companies in KZN are ploughing back into previously disadvantaged communities of KwaZulu-Natal. These exciting community development initiatives were spelt out at an African Renaissance Roads Upgrading Programme (ARRUP) workshop held in Pietermaritzburg recently.

The main aim of the workshop was to evaluate the progress of ARRUP and to improve relationships between the KZN Transport Department, emerging and established road construction contractors as well as other relevant stakeholders. The various civil engineering consulting firms and Vukuzakhe emerging contractors responsible for specific ARRUP projects reported on the progress of each project. Specific emphasis was placed on how they had formed meaningful partnerships with the various communities they were working in, and were not merely only building roads. In almost every ARRUP project there is something significant that the road construction companies have given back to the respective communities, ranging from sports fields to computers. This integrated development approach to road construction in KZN is certainly making a significant contribution towards reversing the inequalities of apartheid and improving the lives of the majority of the citizens of the province.

One such project is the upgrading of Main Road 68 between Highflats and Umtentweni in southern KwaZulu-Natal. A representative from Emzansi Consulting Engineers, Mr. Martin Rundle said that his company is part of this road upgrading project that will serve seven tribal authorities with approximately 20 000 people who stand to benefit by way of job creation and other economic spinoffs.

"Within a radius of five kilometres of Main Road 68, there are 61 schools accommodating 29 000 learners and 750 educators and we have already built play grounds for them. There is also one provincial hospital and five clinics that people are now able to access easily," Rundle said.

According to Mr. James Mlawu, the Department's Strategic Planning General Manager, these workshops are designed to engage the contractors who are changing the history of road construction in the province and to receive feedback from all relevant stakeholders. "We need to get together and share our experiences and differences in a meaningful manner. At the end of the day we have to make sure that we improve the quality of life of the majority of the citizens of our province," he said. He further encouraged contractors to intensify programmes which empower learners who study Maths and Science to become engineers and to offer them employment opportunities.

"I must emphasize that when we build these roads we provide opportunities for different skills, including labour intensive activities such as block paving of access points, removal of alien vegetation, road beautification and the use of local resources and stores for supply of materials," he added.

The Department also presented awards to various contractors for outstanding performance. Mr. Robert Mngoma of Robert Enterprise, Ms. Thatheni Zondi of Thatheni Construction and Mr. Peter Fynn of Fynn Construction were among the recipients of awards.
 

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