Owning road construction equipment is a milestone

When Zwelakhe Maphumulo decided to venture into the construction field he thought his dream of becoming one of the respected constructors in the province was far fetched.

Maphumulo became part of the Vukuzakhe emerging contractor Programme in 1998 as a stage one contactor.

At the time stage one contractors were handling contracts amounting to R50 000.

Through the training that he has received from the Department of Transport, today Maphumulo is a stage four contractor, tendering for jobs amounting to R5 million.

"This Programme has changed the lives of the people throughout the province because of the number of jobs it creates for local communities," said Maphumulo.

His company, called Zwelonke Construction, employs 30 permanent staff and 80 part time workers.

Since he became a stage four contractor in 2001, Maphumulo has been involved in a number of major projects, including the construction of road P235 which links Mtubatuba, Nongoma and Hlabisa.

Another project was the construction of P68 in Highflats on the south coast.

Maphumulo is full of praise of the KwaZulu-Natal minister of transport S’bu Ndebele who has, together with his officials, been supportive since the Programme started.

"When I was appointed as one of the Department contractors I doubted if I was going to do what was expected of me, but through the support I have received from the Department I have been able to achieve milestones," said Maphumulo.

Apart from being just a contractor, the Department has equipped us with skills which have enabled us to run our businesses efficiently.

Today Maphumulo has his own plant, which include two excavators, two graters, a bulldozer, two water cuts and other equipment which amount to R3 million. True, it’s a dream come true for Maphumulo.

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