SANRAL MP met with MCCI
A delegation from SANRAL Mpumalanga headed by Ms Mabuyi Mhlanga the provincial head of SANRAL met with MCCI members lead by Gerrit van der Merwe, on Wednesday, 16 July 2025, at the MCCI auditorium to discuss the SANRAL plans for the Steve Tshwete Municipality (STLM)
Ms Mabuyi Mhlanga said that she was appointed as Head of Mpumalanga SANRAL in January 2025 and that it took a while to structure the department to ensure efficiency. Their plan includes urgent routine route maintenance, network condition assessments, three-year maintenance strategy development, and SANRAL strategy improvement formulation. In 2025/26, the operational budget will be R1 593 511 215, and the capital budget R2 765 843 876.
Funding for the new R573 Moloto road and the new Panbuilt intersection has been approved. The N2 between Piet Retief and Verzameling, the N2 between Leiden and Camden, and the N11 from Hendrina Power Station to the N4 are all to be improved. Plans are underway to upgrade the R38-2 Bethal CBD and finish the R555 eMalahleni to Middelburg section.
Approximately 401,94 km was added to the existing road network of about 384 km in the Nkangala District Municipality. SANRAL will now be responsible for 750.79 km roads in the district.
SANRAL said that a majority of the newly declared roads have deteriorated significantly because of poor maintenance over the past years. Truck traffic is increasing continuously and added to the local municipality road maintenance, particularly in CBDs. This led to increased potholes and surfacing failures. Pothole repairs are rendered inadequate because of to the frequency and extent of the failures on the roads.
Regular maintenance will improve the condition of the newly declared roads. These activities involve milling out and replacing the old asphalt with new asphalt to improve the ride. Road improvements also include related tasks such as better drainage.
New STLM facilities are located on the N4 (74.6km), the R555 (Middelburg to Witbank), include a mandatory truck stop, and the planned N11 Middelburg Eastern Ring Road. It’s also key to remember that STLM manages the traffic lights on national roads in the municipal area. SANRAL is in charge of road signs, advertising, and other boards. If your signage is wrong, expect some letters.
Van der Merwe welcomed the start of the dialogue with SANRAL and undertook to ensure a closer working relationship with SANRAL to ensure our member receive information timeously.
For more information, contact Janie at secretary@middelburgchamber.com.