Lucky draw paves road to contractors’ appointments
The outcome of the local contractors to work under the principal contractor is that there will be a transfer of skills and improvement of standards in future project execution.
Contractors in Emjindini have been given an opportunity to work on a R12-million project to restore roads and a bridge in the area.
Bonny Phakula’s Chryselda Building Construction company, which has an offices in Mbombela, has been named principal contractor for the project.
Last Friday the Umjindi Business Forum (UBF) held an event with the local contractors to discuss opportunities on the project and to also appoint 10 subcontractors to work on the project.
June Maphanga, UBF chairman, said the forum was committed to supporting local businesses.
“We (UBF) are delighted that we have provided employment opportunities for local contractors. The contractor, Chryselda Building Construction’s director, Bonny Phakula, assured us that it would use 10 local companies as subcontractors on the project to provide material or services,” said Maphanaga.
The companies to work on the project are TH2 Tradwy (Nonhlanhla Ngoma), Bonguvuye Trading (Prudence Ndabezitha), Ilapha Ngwane Pty Ltd (Pretty Mdhluli), Sizozama Trading (Themba Thukwane), MC Nature Trading (Ambridge Nkosi), Ingula Construction (Stanley Shongwe), LaSoko Construction & Projects (Gezephi Ndlovu), Dolo Cina Pty Ltd (Olivia Mbokane), Sekunjalo Malangeni (Simon Mahlalela) and Gideon Nosipho Construction and Trading (Gideon Matsebula).
The criteria of appointing these contractors were transparent as it was conducted in full view of everyone.
UBF executives requested the placing of all the bidding contractors directors’ identity documents into one bowl, with one belonging to men and the other to women.
In each sequence, the first five IDs to be drawn out were automatically appointed.
Maphanga congratulated the appointees and urged them to work and create a legacy for Umjindi contractors.
The outcome of the local contractors to work under the principal contractor is that there will be a transfer of skills and improvement of standards in future project execution, which has been shortcoming that have dogged the local contractors who most lacked technical and financial capacity to undertake big projects.
Working with Chryselda will assist the contractors to be nurtured and assisted to build their capacity as most are ill staffed, ill equipped and most cannot access bank loans.
The rehabilitation of the roads and a bridge is funded by the Ehlanzeni District Municipality through its disaster-management funding.
Roads that will be redone are those that were severely affected by the recent rain, which left them with huge potholes. The roads are in Wards 3 and 5 and the patches to be covered will be equivalent to 4,5 kilometres in total. The riddle tar road will be removed and replaced with a paved one.
The project commenced on April 20 and is expected to be completed by June 30.
