Warren Hawkins | 13 November 2023

SANRAL extends its public consultation on the proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy to the Free State.
On Friday 10 November, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) hosted the third instalment of a series of public consultations regarding a proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) in the Free State. The event took place at the Mangaung Metro Municipality Hall, with virtual participation and satellite venues in Matjhabeng and Smithfield.
Kaiser Khoza, SANRAL’s Chief Legal, Risk, and Compliance Officer, and Dumisani Nkabinde, Regional Manager for the Eastern Region, along with other stakeholders, engaged with local construction representatives and various interested parties to discuss the proposed Interim PPP and related matters.
“Transformation underpins South Africa’s democracy and previously disadvantaged black South Africans are running out of patience following years of being on the economic periphery picking up crumbs from SANRAL projects,” said Khoza.
Tshegare Moletsane, the Acting Transformation Manager, emphasised SANRAL’s steadfast commitment to embedding transformation in its operations, with the goal of expediting the development and growth of Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).
“SANRAL is in the process of designing a contractor development programme aimed at ensuring targeted enterprises – which includes black-owned SMMEs and enterprises owned by women youth, military veterans and people with disabilities – are progressively advancing in their Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) grading, ensuring that designated enterprises participate more meaningfully in SANRAL projects,” said Moletsane.
The assembled SMMEs wholeheartedly endorsed SANRAL’s commitment to deliver a more progressive final PPP in the near future. However, there was a unanimous appeal for the agency to intensify consultations with black SMMEs to ensure that beneficiaries fully comprehend the policy’s objectives aimed at enhancing their livelihoods. SMMEs urged SANRAL to engage organised black business structures for support before potential court challenges.
In his concluding statements, Khoza remarked that the seemingly enduring prosperity of previously advantaged companies in South Africa was unsustainable in the face of widespread poverty.
The proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) is open for public comments for three weeks, until 17 November. The document is accessible on SANRAL’s website (www.nra.co.za) and social media platforms.
‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’.