R7.2m boost for emerging contractors in Richmond

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20-10-2025
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The Witness
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According to the MEC, apart from being paid for doing work, we deliberately ensured these emerging constructors received on-site training and mentorship.

Emerging contractors in Richmond have received a significant financial injection of R7.2 million aimed at transforming rural lives.

This was revealed during the official opening of Mkhobeni River Bridge on Friday as part of the Transport Month campaign. It forms a vital link between Phatheni and Ngqokweni communities and connects Richmond to Ixopo and Pietermaritzburg.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, who presided over the opening, said the project would help curb the historic isolation of the area, especially during the rainy season when the river became a deadly obstacle.

“In the past, local residents lost their lives trying to cross the river,” said Duma.

According to the MEC, apart from being paid for doing work, they deliberately ensured these emerging constructors received on-site training and mentorship.

“We are determined to lift millions of rural-based communities out of abject poverty by creating jobs using the construction of roads and bridges as a tool,” he said.

Duma cited statistics showing that 19% of people in the area live below the poverty line, with 37% of children under 18 live in poverty. “We responded to that data decisively,” he said.

The R7.2 million was distributed among local businesses who worked on the project, allowing them to gain both experience and income. Duma added that this was part of a broader plan to drive both an infrastructure and entrepreneurship revolution.

“Undoubtedly, with the experience acquired, these contractors will be better prepared to handle more complex work in the future. Importantly, we’ve integrated them into the full value chain of road infrastructure service delivery,” he said.

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He also credited local leadership, including Inkosi Dlamini and councillors, for playing a key role in safeguarding the project and ensuring its smooth completion.

Duma urged community members to protect such developments from criminal elements and those “who are disrupting construction projects and demanding 30% without working.”