Bell Equipment Media Release
Date: 13 February 2013
Embargo: For immediate release

In line with developing and implementing key national government policy and objectives, Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality in Gauteng has directly tendered and outsourced the repair and maintenance of its roads to local SMME contractors as part of the bold new Ekurhuleni Road Repair and Maintenance Programme, which was launched at Bell Equipment Jet Park at the end of last year.

Integral to the success of the programme is the commitment shown by the private sector, led by Bell Equipment, a Proudly South African company. Bell holds the Bomag dealership for Southern Africa and has generously sponsored 10 Bomag BW55E single drum rollers to the programme.

Previously, road repair and maintenance formed part of a major tender awarded to one major construction company and previously disadvantaged vendors would have been sub-contracted to perform the work. However, the Ekurhuleni SMME Contractor Road Repair and Maintenance Programme represents a truly holistic partnership between government, the private sector and individual SMMEs.  Appointed SMME contractors have each been awarded a two-year contract on an 'as and when basis' to repair potholes and road surfaces as well as replace failed foundation layers of surfaced roads.

Commenting at the official launch of the Ekurhuleni SMME Contractor Road Repair and Maintenance Programme at Bell Equipment in Jet Park, Bell Equipment Sales South Africa Managing Director, Bokkie Coertze said: "As a South African company we understand the need and importance of partnerships between government and the private sector as well as the impact that empowering SMMEs will have on our economy. We are therefore proud and pleased to be able to provide these SMMEs with world class compacting equipment, which is critical to the quality delivery of their services required for their contract with Ekurhuleni. Five of the appointed SMMEs will each receive two of these machines, thereby adding almost R170 000 to the asset value of each company as well as saving them each over R15 000 per month in equipment hire."

The five appointed SMME contractors receiving Bomag machines are Matshelane Roboetswe JV, Mokgotsi Construction, Motha and Zonda Civil and Mining Construction, Opal Projects and Management and Puledi Engineering and Construction. Apart from being qualified up and coming Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment SMME contractors, some have either progressed or are still part of Ekurhuleni Metro's own contractor incubation, learnership and graduation programmes.

Garrioch Pascal Sourcing (Pty) Ltd has been working with the newly appointed SMME contractors for the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality through David Sadiki, Chief Engineer: Operations and Project Management (Roads and Storm water) and Thengo Qokoyi, Executive Manager Support: Roads and Storm water.

Pascal Garrioch of Garrioch Pascal Sourcing said: "Our core vision and key objective is to provide a total solution to the SMME that addresses those factors that are often a stumbling block to the growth and profitability of any SMME. These include limited resources and assets, limited access to credit with suppliers as well as limited access to finance or funding from both government and the private sector, especially the banking institutions which because of the more recent, stringent FICA regulations, can be quite debilitating in assisting newly appointed SMME’s.

"We specialise in providing comprehensive business models that integrate private sector Corporate Social Investment and Enterprise Development along with current, national government grants, funding and finance programmes that genuinely optimise the SMME's self-sustaining integration into our economy as a whole."

Apart from the commitment and donation by Bell Equipment, Mr Garrioch said that further key and core developments and partnerships to the programme would include the SMME's access to grants and finance facilities from national government institutions, namely the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) and two of its departmental divisions, Small Enterprise Development Agency (seda) and Small Enterprise Finance Agency (sefa).

The final part of the programme will be the facilitation and integration by Garrioch Pascal Sourcing of private sector partnerships with SMMEs. Currently three multi-nationals have committed themselves to the programme.

Sasfin is establishing a trade credit facility between the SMMEs, reputable qualified suppliers and Ekurhuleni Metro to provide the SMMEs with direct access to suppliers and material credit. 
Toyota, working closely with sefa (dti) , will enable the SMME's to take full ownership of the various trucks and vehicles used in the contract before the end of the contract period. Similar to the Bell Equipment donation, this will allow the SMMEs to increase their asset register and save on the costs of hiring these vehicles.

Lastly National Asphalt and National Cold Asphalt has developed the 'hot mix in a bag oven trailer" - an innovative, labour intensive application technology for pothole repairs. Each SMME will be supplied with an oven trailer unit for each region that they have been awarded a contract as part of the Ekurhuleni Metro Road Repair and Maintenance tender. This will be supplied in partnership with seda (dti) as part of National Asphalt's Corporate Social Investment and Enterprise Development spend. The technology and material supplied will substantially increase the productivity and profitability of each SMME team.

Ends

Caption:
At the handover at Bell Equipment, Jet Park are (left): Izak van Niekerk (Bell Equipment General Manager: Bomag Sales and Marketing), Cllr Thumbu Mahlangu (Member of Mayoral Committee: Roads and Transport, Ekurhuleni Municipality), Bokkie Coertze (Managing Director: Bell Equipment Sales South Africa) and Pascal Garrioch (Garrioch Pascal Sourcing).