Blame game further delays roadworks on Koraalboom

No subcontractor has been appointed to repair the ditches on Koraalboom Avenue, even though the Independent Development Trust (IDT), which is heading the project, promised to appoint a new one by March 30.

Ward 16 councillor, Kyle Oliver, said Thenjwa Engineering Projects (TEP) was fully paid before completing the job, and now the IDT cannot appoint a new contractor because of the clause in the contract that says it may not appoint one while another one is still on-site.

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“Appointing a new contractor will delay the process of closing the ditches on Koraalboom Avenue, because the IDP had to advertise the tender, and that will take three weeks. It will also take another three months to appoint the new subcontractor. TEP must resume work on the same project,” he said.

Oliver stated that TEP had stopped working on the projects due to the work failing to meet the required standard.

“When I tried to intervene so that they could speed up the project, IDT programme implementation manager, Sabelo Matu, told me it was a political matter and that I must not get involved, as they would sort it out. I believe that they will resolve the problem because the situation is not acceptable. It is now approaching three years of inconveniencing motorists in the area,” he said.

The spokesperson of the IDT, Phasha Mokgolane, did not confirm or deny that it had paid the contractor before the job was completed.

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Instead he said they had instructed TEP to clean the mess in the area, which includes closing up the ditches in Koraalboom Avenue.

“We did not appoint any contractors yet because we are still busy finalising paperwork. However, we instructed TEP to resume working in the area. We expect it to start working after the Easter weekend. It will take a week to close the ditches and clear the area,” he said.

Mpumelelo Ngwenya, director of TEP, confirmed the company will resume working in the area after the Easter weekend and denied allegations that its work did not meet the required standard.

“The quantity surveyor continued to disqualify our work despite the fact that we met the required standard. We have decided that we will start working on the area without the engineer’s permission, because the community of that area has suffered enough,” he said.

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He also said that the IDT wanted to appoint another contractor under him who wanted to charge his company R1m to finish the job, but he refused, because they had the capacity to finish the remaining work.

“I think they wanted to extort money from us because we should have finished the work a long time ago, and the quantity surveyor kept disqualifying our work,”
he said.

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