‘Road to Success’ marked

The SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) has launched a coffeetable book, titled Road to Success, to celebrate 20 years of delivering critical infrastructure in the country.

The book was launched at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Port Elizabeth.

The Sanral road network – which covers 22,000km across the country – comprises national roads only.

“It happens sometimes that strategic provincial roads are declared national roads, as happened during the 2016/2017 financial year when 707km of provincial roads were declared national roads,” Sanral Southern Region manager Mbulelo Peterson said at the launch last week.

“South Africa has a 750,000km [road] network and Sanral is only responsible for some 22,000km which constitute the national road network.”

Rather than a chronological account of the raft of roadwork projects carried out through the road agency’s 20-year history, the 100-page book focuses on its investments in the education sector through several initiatives.

The road agency is also known for its many community upliftment initiatives in the areas in which it operates.

Sanral chief executive Skhumbuzo Macozoma said the agency had over the past 20 years successfully ensured that the economy continued to function, with a road network system that was world-class.

“We, of course, have the best network in Africa, but we punch with the best in the world,” he said.

“The international benchmark has the percentage of poor to very poor roads below 10%. Sanral’s network has poor to very poor roads of below 4% and we can all be proud of it.

“For every national road project we do there’s going to be a community development project attached to it – mandatory, not optional any longer.

“Whether it’s an access road, a road safety intervention, a community hall, a clinic, a school, borehole water – we’re working with the communities and partners in the industry.”

Macozoma said Sanral had a plan to generate income through doing work outside of South Africa’s borders.

In her address, Eastern Cape transport, safety & liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana said: “The Road to Success chronicles in great detail how Sanral has grown to become a pillar of infrastructure delivery since the turn of the century.”