Eersterust water project halted following unrests
“The site camp was vandalised during the unrest in Eesterust and equipment burned or stolen.”
The Tshwane metro has suspended the replacement of a water pipe network in Eersterust, following prolonged unrest in the area.
Spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said “the deliberate destruction” of the new infrastructure had forced the rethink.
He said in December last year the city began replacing water supply pipelines in Eersterust.
“However, the project was stopped in February due to the constant interference by some residents,” he said.
According to Mashigo, these residents wanted to form a local consortium and were demanding the city give them the contract to upgrade the system.
“After a lengthy and heated meeting, it was agreed that the community will form five consortiums which will each be responsible for a portion of the work.”
He said further issues had subsequently surfaced, resulting in another crisis meeting and the suspension of work.
The second crisis meeting resolved the following:
– The work already started be completed.
– The rest of the project be discontinued and the contract be cancelled.
– A new tender be advertised.
– The five consortiums were not viable for a project.
– The pay scale agreed to by the main contractor was not conducive to profit to the consortiums.
– The local consortium had spent too long on the work, which ended up costing it more on wages.
– Additional funding be sought in the 2018/19 or 2019/20 budgets to restart the project.
Mashigo said the site camp was on 13 June vandalised during unrest in Eesterust, equipment burned and the fence around the camp stolen.
“The contractor was only allowed back to site on 18 June, to finish the work as per the agreement reached on 5 June.”
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