SABIE – The planned completion date was November 10, 2016. However, only 10 per cent of the work has been done.
Simile residents said they were promised all of these things, but the project has since been abandoned.
Spokesman for the provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, Mxolisi Cyril Dlamini, said the project was handed over to Xibebu Trading Contractor in the 2016/17 financial year. It commenced with implementation on May 10, 2016.
“During the construction, the local subcontractors disrupted the project as they were demanding 100 per cent work being subcontracted to them, rather than the main contractor subcontracting a portion to them.”
Dlamini said the materials intended for the construction of the project had already been procured and work had begun.
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He said several interventions by the department and Thaba Chweu Local Municipality structures to resolve issues yielded no results.
“To this effect, the DRWRT in conjunction with the provincial Department of Health had no other option but to put the project on hold, pending the resolution of the issues.
“Despite all interventions, the issues were never resolved. Subsequently, the project was closed and never completed due to the continuous community unrest as well as theft of material on site.”
Dlamini said there are no funds left for the project, as it was closed off.
Department of Health’s spokesman, Dumisani Malamule, said the project was awarded R1,2 million and the total expenditure at the time of closing was
R409 108.
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“When the project was closed, 80 per cent of the material required for the construction, which amounted to R253 543, had been purchased and delivered on site. Meanwhile in Graskop, residents have raised concerns about their clinic being closed over weekends.
Malamule added that the facility is ready to operate seven days a week, following the appointment of three community services nurses in April.
“The challenge now is that Hospersa is instigating staff to refuse to work holidays and weekends if they are not going to be paid overtime.
“As the facility definition says, a clinic operates five days, eight hours a day; if the employer requires that they should work overtime, he must consult them.”
Malamule added that, once the staffing challenges have been addressed, the facility will be able to operate over weekends.
According to Health Professionals Council South Africa, healthcare waste may, if handled improperly, have the potential to harm people, property or the environment.
In this regard, all human anatomical waste, blood and body fluids are considered to be potentially hazardous. The unsafe disposal of such waste could have detrimental effects for people who might come into contact with it.
