Construction on the controversial R117-million Qumza Highway upgrade remains at a standstill after the site was shut down late last year, apparently due to health and safety non-compliance on the part of the main contractor, Diphatse JV.
The Daily Dispatch has visited the site a number of times this year to establish whether any road building is taking place and has yet to see any. Only plumbers and electricians appear to be working on the contract at this stage.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya said the issue with Diphatse JV not proceeding with work this year was due to non-compliance.
“It is due to non-compliance with issues that relate to health and safety. issues that were detected before the shutdown period and they still have to resolve .
“They were given a deadline of Friday February 2 to rectify the non-compliance issues,” he said.
“We are not at liberty to extensively disclose what these as they involve contractual obligations, except to say that as the city our primary obligation is to ensure that we leave behind incentives concluding a project that is healthy, sustainable and developmental.”
BCM had not replied as to the current status of the project when asked for an update, given the February 2 deadline has passed.
Residents and taxi drivers vented their frustration saying the delay was an inconvenience.
NU11 resident Nonkosazana Gcinisisu said she now had to walk some distance before she could catch a taxi.
“We don’t even know what the problem was with the road because there are roads that are much worse that are not being worked on.”
Taxi driver Mzolisi Ngongoma said the alternative routes were longer and more time-consuming.
“Our profits are calculated by how many times we collect people there. So this holdup holds us back,” he said.
Late last year, the Daily Dispatch reported on how the awarding of the lucrative Buffalo City Metro contract to upgrade a 2.3km stretch of road had been mired in controversy, after questions were raised within the metro over why funds were being paid to a secondary partner in a joint venture to upgrade the Mdantsane Qumza Highway and not the lead company. The metro had paid out R6-million into the venture by November last year.
In September 2016, BCM advertised the tender calling for the upgrading of the stretch of road and called for a company with a construction industry development board (CIDB) grading of 8CE (civil engineering) or higher.
Diphatse Trading and Projects had a lower grading of 7GB (general building) and a grading of 7CE with PE (potential emerging).
In a bind, the company approached Sedtrade, which had the required qualifications, to partner with them.
However, soon after the contract was awarded, Sedtrade announced they had withdrawn from the project due to “current commitments and resource allocations”. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
R117m road going nowhere
The Daily Dispatch has visited the site a number of times this year to establish whether any road building is taking place and has yet to see any. Only plumbers and electricians appear to be working on the contract at this stage.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya said the issue with Diphatse JV not proceeding with work this year was due to non-compliance.
“It is due to non-compliance with issues that relate to health and safety. issues that were detected before the shutdown period and they still have to resolve .
“They were given a deadline of Friday February 2 to rectify the non-compliance issues,” he said.
“We are not at liberty to extensively disclose what these as they involve contractual obligations, except to say that as the city our primary obligation is to ensure that we leave behind incentives concluding a project that is healthy, sustainable and developmental.”
BCM had not replied as to the current status of the project when asked for an update, given the February 2 deadline has passed.
Residents and taxi drivers vented their frustration saying the delay was an inconvenience.
NU11 resident Nonkosazana Gcinisisu said she now had to walk some distance before she could catch a taxi.
“We don’t even know what the problem was with the road because there are roads that are much worse that are not being worked on.”
Taxi driver Mzolisi Ngongoma said the alternative routes were longer and more time-consuming.
“Our profits are calculated by how many times we collect people there. So this holdup holds us back,” he said.
Late last year, the Daily Dispatch reported on how the awarding of the lucrative Buffalo City Metro contract to upgrade a 2.3km stretch of road had been mired in controversy, after questions were raised within the metro over why funds were being paid to a secondary partner in a joint venture to upgrade the Mdantsane Qumza Highway and not the lead company. The metro had paid out R6-million into the venture by November last year.
In September 2016, BCM advertised the tender calling for the upgrading of the stretch of road and called for a company with a construction industry development board (CIDB) grading of 8CE (civil engineering) or higher.
Diphatse Trading and Projects had a lower grading of 7GB (general building) and a grading of 7CE with PE (potential emerging).
In a bind, the company approached Sedtrade, which had the required qualifications, to partner with them.
However, soon after the contract was awarded, Sedtrade announced they had withdrawn from the project due to “current commitments and resource allocations”. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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