A contractor's bid to chain himself, along with his eight workers, to the fence of a rural school over non-payment for his “perfect field” yesterday backfired when it turned out he had not finished the job.
The Daily Dispatch was called out early yesterday by Anton Lombard, of Fort Beaufort, to say he and his workers were chaining themselves with “20m of ox-chain” to Kwandulwazi Primary School in Ncera village.
They were protesting an eight-week wait for R75000 for the second-phase of their Lotto-funded contract to upgrade playing fields.
The men were seen looking discontented and sitting behind a loose loop of chain, bound with bloudraad wire to two ends in a remote corner of the school.
“I have only got R17 in my account.
“I am ruined because of this,” Lombard said.
Nobody in the community took any notice, and inside principal Nokuzola Smith and her school governing board treasurer, Fundiswa Mncono, were having none of it.
Smith said she had checked with three other schools who also hired Lombard to build fields, and he had done this before.
“He is a drama boy,” said Smith.
Smith, high heels sinking into the sandy ground, showed the Dispatch team the unfinished soccer and rugby fields.
She and Mncono picked up foot-long chunks of roots and branches, and pointed at:
lLombard’s irrigation hose only reached half of the field area;
lWeeds sprouting as far as the eye could see;
lA section where pigs had dug up the ground and the gate where they came in under, which Lombard was supposed to have animal-proofed; and
lThe unsafe-to-kids undulating, downhill-leaning field.
Lombard, speaking from behind his chain, said he was paid R100000 for the phase-one earthworks, but not the R75000 for the second phase of “planting and nursing”.
He said he planted 3.9kg of kikuyu grass seed but admitted that he was contractually liable for “supplying the irrigation system”.
He said he only supplied half the length of hose for the single sprayer because the two women told him there was a second tap on the other side of the road that could be used to irrigate.
Mncono denied this, saying he was actually told the community would never accept the school tapping into their public water for irrigating a field, and that any hose outside the perimeter fence would be stolen.
Lombard’s failure to lengthen the hose had led to the grass not seeding and weeds springing up.
Fiesty Mncono, who grew up in Tabankulu and worked for 25 years as a credit controller for Ellerines in East London, said the SGB was happy to pay Lombard, once he sorted out the minor matters.
Smith said: “We have his money and we don’t have a problem paying him, but he must do the right thing and finish the job.”
When this was communicated to Lombard, he said: “I am prepared to do that,” after which, he and his workers unchained themselves and left.
He had not returned by 2pm, said Smith. — Additional reporting by Sarah Connock and Lena Britz
Protest in chains backfires on crew
The Daily Dispatch was called out early yesterday by Anton Lombard, of Fort Beaufort, to say he and his workers were chaining themselves with “20m of ox-chain” to Kwandulwazi Primary School in Ncera village.
They were protesting an eight-week wait for R75000 for the second-phase of their Lotto-funded contract to upgrade playing fields.
The men were seen looking discontented and sitting behind a loose loop of chain, bound with bloudraad wire to two ends in a remote corner of the school.
“I have only got R17 in my account.
“I am ruined because of this,” Lombard said.
Nobody in the community took any notice, and inside principal Nokuzola Smith and her school governing board treasurer, Fundiswa Mncono, were having none of it.
Smith said she had checked with three other schools who also hired Lombard to build fields, and he had done this before.
“He is a drama boy,” said Smith.
Smith, high heels sinking into the sandy ground, showed the Dispatch team the unfinished soccer and rugby fields.
She and Mncono picked up foot-long chunks of roots and branches, and pointed at:
lLombard’s irrigation hose only reached half of the field area;
lWeeds sprouting as far as the eye could see;
lA section where pigs had dug up the ground and the gate where they came in under, which Lombard was supposed to have animal-proofed; and
lThe unsafe-to-kids undulating, downhill-leaning field.
Lombard, speaking from behind his chain, said he was paid R100000 for the phase-one earthworks, but not the R75000 for the second phase of “planting and nursing”.
He said he planted 3.9kg of kikuyu grass seed but admitted that he was contractually liable for “supplying the irrigation system”.
He said he only supplied half the length of hose for the single sprayer because the two women told him there was a second tap on the other side of the road that could be used to irrigate.
Mncono denied this, saying he was actually told the community would never accept the school tapping into their public water for irrigating a field, and that any hose outside the perimeter fence would be stolen.
Lombard’s failure to lengthen the hose had led to the grass not seeding and weeds springing up.
Fiesty Mncono, who grew up in Tabankulu and worked for 25 years as a credit controller for Ellerines in East London, said the SGB was happy to pay Lombard, once he sorted out the minor matters.
Smith said: “We have his money and we don’t have a problem paying him, but he must do the right thing and finish the job.”
When this was communicated to Lombard, he said: “I am prepared to do that,” after which, he and his workers unchained themselves and left.
He had not returned by 2pm, said Smith. — Additional reporting by Sarah Connock and Lena Britz
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