Big ‘focus’ on ensuring rail OEMs meet local-content commitments

A senior Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) official “promised” on Friday that the department was giving focused attention to ensuring that the local-content targets associated with Transnet’s R50-billion locomotive procurement programme were met. Chief director for industrial procurement Dr Tebogo Makube acknowledged, however, that it was a “challenging terrain”. The so-called ‘1064’ contract has been divided between General Electric South Africa Technologies and China’s CNR Rolling Stock South Africa, which will supply 233 and 232 diesel locomotives respectively, as well as CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive and Bombardier Transportation South Africa, which have been contracted to supply 359 and 240 electric locomotives respectively.