Tenders in spotlight at Sanral meeting
Business owners have asked the national roads agency to try and step in and help with the processes, so that it can be fair.
Some business people on the South Coast are complaining that tenders for road maintenance are given to the same people and new businesses are being side lined.
Also, they say that sometimes when a certain job is advertised there is talk of who is going to bag that tender, and they find it discouraging and unfair.
These issues were raised at a meeting by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (Sanral) with stakeholders at the Port Shepstone Civic Centre last Tuesday.
They also mentioned the brutal killings of business people or so-called tenderpreneurs
They have asked Sanral to try and step in and help with tender processes, so that it can be fair to every business person.
Another issue was the Project Liaison Committee (PLC) not reporting to business people and sometimes withholding vital information.
Stakeholder coordinator for Sanral KZN, Kwanele Ncalane, says that some of the issues that they have discovered are that business people need to be trained on how to fill in documents for tenders.
“Transparency around the PLC also needs to be taken into account. We need to establish if they pass on information to the relevant structures. Then the issue of jobs, every business member has to get an opportunity to tender.”
Project manager for Sanral KZN, Samantha Dladla says that the purpose of the meeting was to share information and to facilitate dialogue between them and stakeholders in the Ugu District regarding the current road infrastructure.
She says the aim is to empower local SMMEs and communities by highlighting sub-contracting and employment opportunities.
The discussions covered maintenance of the N2 in Ugu and Harry Gwala districts, maintenance of N2 South Coast toll plaza (Oribi and Umtentweni), as well as the upgrade of the N2 from Mtamvuna to Hibberdene.
Speaker of Ugu, Sizwe Ngcobo says that he hopes that after this meeting every business person in the district will be able to get an equal opportunity.
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