WARD 18 Councillor Melanie Brauteseth has said she will write to her party’s spokesperson for Transport in KZN to request that clarification answers be sought after the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements in the province, Siboniso Duma, terminated a road construction contract due to a failure to deliver on the part of the contractor.

In a statement responding to the Highway Mail’s enquiry that the ongoing delays on the construction project included financial issues, the MEC said the contractor had “failed to deliver” despite the extensions which had been granted, and so the head of the department has been instructed to accelerate the termination of the road construction contract on Stapleton Road, a process which, according to Duma, got underway on July 4 with the issuance of an intention and notice to terminate.

The MEC said the department is  re-measuring incomplete works and will begin drafting a tender document to appoint a new contractor to complete the project. He added that the contractor is expected to continue working until the termination process is finalised, and must ensure that the road is safe before moving off-site.

Also read: Stapleton Road contract terminated over failure to deliver

Brauteseth said the following will be requested from the department:

• A full report should be tabled at the Transport Committee on the failed P577-02 contract, detailing all progress payments made to date and the reasons for continued delays.
• Clarification of the process and timeline for appointing a new contractor, ensuring a transparent tender process going forward.
• Provision of timelines for the completion of the road project to restore public confidence and accountability.

“The residents of eThekwini deserve better. They deserve a government that not only reacts to failure but puts in place proactive systems to ensure that public funds are spent responsibly, and infrastructure is delivered timeously and to standard,” said Brauteseth.

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