The Eastern Cape MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Xolile Nqatha, with the Political Oversight Committee (POC) of the N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project, has concluded a two-day oversight visit to the venture.
N2WCR POC members, including the MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, executive mayor of OR Tambo District Municipality, mayors of Ingquza Hill, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Port St Johns local municipalities, SANRAL board members, and the SANRAL CEO, accompanied MEC Nqatha on a two-day programme that took place from Thursday, July 13 to Friday, July 14, in Lusikisiki.
The three-pronged programme entailed a debrief session where the POC presented a report on its oversight work at an engagement session at the Lusikisiki Resource Centre.
This was followed by a visit to the Msikaba Bridge construction site to assess progress being made on the project.
The third leg of the programme entailed an engagement session with local key stakeholders, including affected traditional leadership, women in business, business forums and N2WCR Project Liaison Committee (PLC) members.
“We are assessing progress made since our last visit in October 2022. When we met stakeholders, there were many issues raised by traditional leaders and the local business fraternity. Today I’m happy with the progress we’ve seen in addressing those concerns. I’ve forwarded the report to the premier of the province. I’m excited with the progress made,” said Nqatha.
There are also legacy projects in the pipeline, including the access roads that SANRAL is constructing in the area to improve access to amenities, and the living conditions of local communities.
SANRAL board chair, Themba Mhambi, said that it was SANRAL’s intention to deliver world-class road infrastructure to the people of the Eastern Cape, and to ensure a significant portion of the economic benefits derived during the road construction be directed to SMMEs within the affected local and district municipalities.
Alluding to the integral role of a consultative and inter-governmental approach to the N2WCR road infrastructure development, Nqatha said, “It is clear there is no substitute for consultation and social facilitation.
“This is the route to go to ensure the smooth running of the project. We can learn from the Mtentu Bridge stoppage, which had a budget of R1.6-billion in 2019 but is now costing an already constrained government fiscal R4-billion after being re-tendered.”
Nqatha said that it was “a lesson for us as leaders and communities that there is no reason to stop projects when we have concerns. It is important that we bring our concerns to the table, because all of us want this bridge and all of us want roads. We can discuss our grievances but work must continue, so that we are not affected by cost escalations and unnecessary delays, which are costly to the very communities, because work stoppage causes loss of income.”
“The social facilitation work of the POC is important to the success of the N2 Wild Coast project; let’s continue to work together to successfully complete the project,” said SANRAL CEO, Reginald Demana.
Stakeholders appreciated the interventions made thus far to resolve some of their grievances.
The mayor of Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, Councillor Nonkosi Pepping, urged the stakeholders to ensure that their prerequisite paperwork was in order to enable participation in the N2WCR project. “You must also play your part by being compliant so as to be able to benefit from this development,” she said.
“We are committed to realising significant participation by designated groups and targeted enterprises in all our projects, in line with government’s black economic empowerment policy,” said Chairperson Mhambi, adding that transformation is a top priority for the SANRAL Board.
“Four billion rand of the N2 Wild Coast Road project has been set aside for the local community through sub-contracting, job opportunities, and skills development training.”
Lwandile Gcume, of the Wild Coast Business Forum, said that the local business fraternity appreciated the project’s impact “particularly in this unfavourable economic climate. We also urge for political intervention to address the potential delay that could be caused by the Amadiba group insisting on an alternative route.”
Sigqibo Notshaya from the Ingquza Hill Business Chamber welcomed the economic injection made by SANRAL into the Wild Coast economy and imparted advice to the local community.
“I want to urge for peace among the people of Pondololand to unite to ensure the successful implementation of this project. It is all in our hands,” he said.
The stakeholders rallied behind the project and have expressed appreciation of the beneficiation realised thus far.
Nkosi Sonwabile Jama of KwaKhanyayo Village in Flagstaff, where the Mtentu Bridge is being constructed, cautioned locals from interrupting the project.
“Let us ensure that any differences we have are resolved via dialogue,” he said.
“We are happy now that the Mtentu Bridge contract has resumed and with participation of the local SMMEs and community.”
