Buffalo City has allocated close to R3-million to revamp NU2’s ruin of a swimming pool in the next three years.
The Daily Dispatch reported last year that the Mdantsane community was upset about the neglect of their pool, which has become a haven for rapists and drug dealers.
During the metro’s municipal public accounts committee (MPAC) meeting at Nolizwe Mnyaka community hall in Zwelitsha on Monday, MPAC head Sakhumzi Caga compared the state of the swimming pool to a “war zone”.
Caga and other MPAC members grilled the officials from the directorate of community services and finance over issues raised in the 2014/15 annual report.
He questioned whether the metro’s executive mayor, Alfred Mtsi, was misled by officials when he mentioned in his state of the metro address that work was happening onsite.
BCM acting community services director Kholekile Tapile said: “Indeed, the project of Mdantsane swimming pool is worrying.
“Nothing has been done in the 2014/15 financial year.
“A tender was issued to appoint service providers and then we got advice to use the already contracted service providers, but this plan did not materialise.”
He said the metro cancelled the tender process and opted to use the entity that was already contracted by the department of human settlements.
However, Tapile said it was found later that these contractors were only able to build houses, not work on a swimming pool.
The metro then reverted to its initial plan of using their procured contractors, which was currently under way.
“We were hoping that this was going to be a faster route,” Tapile added. He said the project had been divided into phases:
lIn the first phase a fence will be erected for the facility at a cost of R150000;
lThe second phase will be for the actual revamp work, at a cost of R1.2-million, and erecting the care-taker’s house at a cost of more than R1.5-million.
Tapile said quotations had been received. “We are starting from scratch and need designs. The focus is on security first,” he said.
However, Caga was not impressed: “We must express our disappointment. The process of procuring service providers takes time. You reversed that and tried to appoint contractors who build houses. What about service delivery,” he asked.
Other matters that were raised by MPAC members during the meeting included Tapile’s failure to include information relating to services offered at the East London Zoo, and discrepancies picked up in the annual report relating to the finances of the metro.
Tapile was instructed to submit a written report on services rendered at the zoo.
The metro’s chief financial officer, Vincent Pillay, was ordered to make a submission within seven days explaining the inconsistencies contained in the annual report relating to the finances of the metro.
Tide is turning for NU2 pool
The Daily Dispatch reported last year that the Mdantsane community was upset about the neglect of their pool, which has become a haven for rapists and drug dealers.
During the metro’s municipal public accounts committee (MPAC) meeting at Nolizwe Mnyaka community hall in Zwelitsha on Monday, MPAC head Sakhumzi Caga compared the state of the swimming pool to a “war zone”.
Caga and other MPAC members grilled the officials from the directorate of community services and finance over issues raised in the 2014/15 annual report.
He questioned whether the metro’s executive mayor, Alfred Mtsi, was misled by officials when he mentioned in his state of the metro address that work was happening onsite.
BCM acting community services director Kholekile Tapile said: “Indeed, the project of Mdantsane swimming pool is worrying.
“Nothing has been done in the 2014/15 financial year.
“A tender was issued to appoint service providers and then we got advice to use the already contracted service providers, but this plan did not materialise.”
He said the metro cancelled the tender process and opted to use the entity that was already contracted by the department of human settlements.
However, Tapile said it was found later that these contractors were only able to build houses, not work on a swimming pool.
The metro then reverted to its initial plan of using their procured contractors, which was currently under way.
“We were hoping that this was going to be a faster route,” Tapile added. He said the project had been divided into phases:
lIn the first phase a fence will be erected for the facility at a cost of R150000;
lThe second phase will be for the actual revamp work, at a cost of R1.2-million, and erecting the care-taker’s house at a cost of more than R1.5-million.
Tapile said quotations had been received. “We are starting from scratch and need designs. The focus is on security first,” he said.
However, Caga was not impressed: “We must express our disappointment. The process of procuring service providers takes time. You reversed that and tried to appoint contractors who build houses. What about service delivery,” he asked.
Other matters that were raised by MPAC members during the meeting included Tapile’s failure to include information relating to services offered at the East London Zoo, and discrepancies picked up in the annual report relating to the finances of the metro.
Tapile was instructed to submit a written report on services rendered at the zoo.
The metro’s chief financial officer, Vincent Pillay, was ordered to make a submission within seven days explaining the inconsistencies contained in the annual report relating to the finances of the metro.
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