NewsWeekPRO Subscription Plans Please consider supporting us by becoming a full access members You get all the bells and whistles included The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) continues to empower small medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) through its R117-million special road maintenance project on the National Route R61 in the Eastern Cape An SMME information-sharing session was held at the Tarkastad Town Hall in the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality to familiarise local businesses of SANRAL’s procurement processes and project opportunities SANRAL introduced the newly appointed members of the Project Liaison Committee (PLC) for the R61 special road maintenance project to local SMMEs explained the importance of the PLC in maintaining transparency and fostering effective communication between the project’s contractors “The contractor will utilise the PLC as the official communication channel ensuring transparency and resolving any conflicts that may arise,” he said “The special maintenance project – spanning 24.7 kilometers from Tarkastad towards Nxuba (formerly Cradock) – will involve rehabilitation shoulder widening and strengthening to improve road safety and durability the project is scheduled to run until September 2025 The project also includes repairs and resurfacing through reseal,” said SANRAL’s Project Manager Aligned with SANRAL’s goal to support local economic development 30% of the contract value has been set aside for Contract Participation Goals (CPG) to benefit SMMEs in the targeted area This initiative underscores SANRAL’s commitment to empowering local businesses and creating sustainable growth in underdeveloped areas resulting in employment opportunities for local residents Makwabe also highlighted the importance of building entrepreneurial capacity in rural areas “We aim to extend economic opportunities and optimise local resources This project not only improves infrastructure but also empowers local communities,” he said To ensure the success of SMMEs on the project SANRAL will provide formal training through accredited service providers while labourers will receive informal training Makwabe emphasised the four important stages of the tender processes for targeted enterprises: eligibility Local enterprises will also be guided on compliance to enhance their competitiveness in future projects These efforts highlight SANRAL’s ongoing dedication to infrastructure development and community empowerment and website in this browser for the next time I comment Add me to your newsletter and keep me updated whenever you publish new blog posts Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers were killed in a head-on collision on the R61 between Komani and Tarkastad late on Monday night The Eastern Cape Transport Department says a Mercedes Benz sedan with four occupants collided head-on with a truck with two occupants Unathi Binqose says all four occupants of the sedan He says the two occupants of the truck sustained minor injuries The accident happened only hours after four other people - a mother and her three children - were killed when their car collided with another vehicle on the N2 near Qumbu 10 people perished on the province's roads one person died in an accident on the N2 road near Qumrha while a pedestrian was killed after being hit by a car on the R63 near Qonce Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has urged motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads due to the disturbing rise in road accident fatalities The Bhisho Government says the current death toll for the Festive Season in the province is fast approaching 90 an exclusive podcast on the life of Vicki Terblanche Dive into the expansive world of motoring with Naresh Maharaj Join Mark Marshall as he shares his extraordinary encounters with everything from bees to reptiles i ActionSA is concerned about the indifference of the Tarkastad Police Station’s leadership to the neglect what is a notoriously scarce resource in the Eastern Cape Upon arriving in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality Residents of this neglected rural town lamented that the police vehicle has been in this inoperable state for close to six months despite police vehicles being in very short supply It has become apparent that the neglect of state resources goes beyond police vehicles It’s been 5 years since the Enoch Mgijima Municipality was handed the Tsolwana Licence Testing station in Tarkastad to operate the testing station has never been open to the public and has never been occupied by government officials to operate it This white elephant remains unused meanwhile its residents are subjected to more than 60 kms of travel time and unaffordable expenses to the neighbouring towns to apply for or to renew driving licences It goes without saying that a driver’s licence improves one’s employability residents cannot acquire this in their own town where a perfectly good licensing station stands empty with lights on and guarded by a paid security company More wasteful expenditure for services residents of Tarkastad will never enjoy To allow state resources to deteriorate in the midst of all this impoverishment in the Eastern Cape is both as the custodian of the resources through which basic services are meant to be delivered to hold those responsible for mismanaging state resources accountable We implore the Provincial Commissioner of Police to take seriously the matter of the deteriorating condition and shortage of resources within the police service of the Eastern Cape in general Tarkastad citizens deserve a well-capacitated police service that can decisively deal with the ever-increasing crime rate amongst other issues plaguing this community A Municipality that cares about its citizens is easily identified by the way it manages its assets The deplorable condition of municipal and provincial assets in Tarkastad speaks volumes about this town’s neglect by the amalgamated municipality and province government ActionSA is sending a reminder to the incumbent ANC government on the eve of the by-election to either shape up or be shipped out by the residents of this town who have been neglected for far too long Blasting is scheduled to take place at the quarry on the R61 between Cradock and Tarkastad on Thursday The quarry is located approximately 39km from the N10 at Cradock The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) would like to notify motorists that the road will be closed for about one hour at the km 39 road marker There are also three stop-go controls in operation between Cradock and Tarkastad “Motorists are asked to plan their trips accordingly and to use caution when making use of the road,” said Mbulelo Peterson SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused Home | South Africa The provincial government has commemorated the Day of the African Child at Tarkastad under the theme “Advancing Child Safety: A Shared Duty” These young people say they remain vulnerable to traditional practices such as ukuthwala – the practice of young girls being kidnapped and married off without consent Khazimla Adam says a lot still needs to be done for young people to realise their rights “Recently there have been murders and GBV victims here in the Eastern Cape which is heartbreaking These are things that need to be addressed We have the child rights that are inscribed in our constitution but the implementation of them needs to be more.” we have to cross rivers and an issue when there are floods and we cannot go across the rivers that’s an issue we as learners from the villages have to cross rivers before getting to school,” laments another learner They are calling for the laws relating to these challenges to be tightened and implemented properly Government is equally concerned about the abuse of children’s rights Acting Eastern Cape Premier Bukiwe Fanta says “We want to appeal to communities because children are within communities to protect our kids kids are being murdered at homes at the time they are being murdered We have got instances where a child was dumped in a pit latrine.” Young people have been encouraged to speak out when they experience any form of violation ActionSA has now contested its second by-election in the Eastern Cape and its first in the rural areas of the Province in Enoch Mgijima Municipality Confoundingly this forgotten community of Tarkastad again entrusted the control of the ward to the ANC driven this municipality into the ground and neglected Tarkastad as it races towards insolvency and administrative collapse After being operational in the Eastern Cape for only nine months and only being able to conduct a three-week shoestring budget campaign ActionSA is proud that we have after two by-elections cemented our position amongst the top four political parties in the Province and we narrowly missed out on coming third by a fraction of a percentage point We recently initiated our “Project 2024” campaign which is focussed on contesting strongly in all nine provinces in SA and participation in this by-election was effectively a real-time “poll” to test the voter’s appetite for a political alternative and to present them with our alternative offering We are obviously disappointed that we achieved 3% support along with the EFF but considering the fact that they have been in existence for more than eight years we are proud of our efforts in this ANC-dominated region ActionSA will continue undeterred with our project 2024 campaign to bring the ANC below 50% in this Province and the launching of two new branches in Kariega/Uitenhage on Sunday 4 December  2022 is testimony to our determination thesouthafrican.com is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd Reproduction without permission prohibited Home » Six killed after taxi collides with stray COW 17 November on the R61 near Tarkastad in the Eastern Cape Tragically, a major crash occurred on Sunday 17 November at approximately 21:10 on the R61 near Tarkastad in the Eastern Cape A Toyota Minibus Taxi collided with a stray cow and subsequently overturned The South African website extends its condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have passed and we wish a swift recovery to those injured This developing news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly Please refresh the page for the fullest version Follow us on Facebook for the latest breaking news, polls - and more! Gayton McKenzie has finally registered a foundation in Joslin Smith’s name days after her mom was found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking Today’s Daily Lotto jackpot stands at an estimated R520 000 If you want to win your share of the jackpot City Power Johannesburg has announced that a planned power outage will affect 8 suburbs on Tuesday Babylonstoren has announced the opening of BLOU at Keurbooms a new coastal escape on South Africa’s Garden Route Soweto giants Orlando Pirates will battle Golden Arrows in the Betway Premiership minus two clutch players After a series of public holidays in South Africa over the last month here is the next one to mark down in your calendar