Opposition parties want Govan Mbeki Municipality to scrutinise performance of contractors before granting extension
MMC for Civil and Engineering, Vusumuzi Mbokazi, requested council approval for extensions of time for the completion of several Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG)-funded projects.
Opposition parties in the Govan Mbeki Municipality, including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), have called for the performance review of contractors working on water and sanitation infrastructure projects to be scrutinised before any extension of their contracts is approved.
This follows a presentation by Govan Mbeki Municipality MMC for Civil and Engineering, Vusumuzi Mbokazi, who was acting mayor during a recent council meeting, where he requested council approval for extensions of time (EOT) for the completion of several Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG)-funded projects.
The projects include the construction of a bulk water pipeline and reservoir in Leandra, the eMbalenhle bulk pipeline replacement and upgrade project, and the completion of the Charl Cilliers 1.8ML/D biological nutrient removal wastewater treatment works, specifically the mechanical and electrical components.
Mbokazi told the council that approval for the extensions was required under Municipal Supply Chain Management regulations and contractual provisions to allow the projects to continue beyond their original completion dates.
According to Mbokazi, the projects form part of the municipality’s infrastructure programme aimed at improving bulk water supply systems and ensuring reliable water services across communities within the municipal area.
He explained that implementation timelines had been negatively affected by operational and financial constraints, particularly the structure of annual MIG allocations received from the National Treasury through the Department of Co-operative Governance.
“The municipality receives annual MIG allocations which must be distributed across several approved infrastructure projects within the same financial year,” Mbokazi said.
He added that the municipality’s annual allocation is significantly smaller than the total financial commitments required for all active projects, forcing the municipality to divide available funds proportionally among projects to ensure equitable service delivery.
Mbokazi said these funding constraints slowed progress on both the Leandra bulk water pipeline and reservoir project and the eMbalenhle bulk pipeline replacement project.
Regarding the Leandra project, he said major delays were caused by the late commencement of reservoir construction, which pushed the overall project schedule by approximately 6 months.
“The pipeline infrastructure is dependent on the completion of the reservoir for final integration and commissioning,” he explained.
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He said the project is currently 90% complete, with most of the critical infrastructure, including the pipeline and concrete reservoir, already finished.
On the eMbalenhle bulk pipeline replacement and upgrade project, Mbokazi said construction was delayed after Evander Gold Mine objected to the installation of a pipeline on its property.
This forced the municipality to temporarily halt construction activities while engaging with the mine and other stakeholders to secure a new servitude for the revised pipeline route.
“The original pipeline route had to be revised and redesigned to accommodate the new servitude requirements,” said Mbokazi.
He said the project is currently 92% complete, with most of the major infrastructure, including the pipeline and chambers, already completed.
Mbokazi further explained that the Charl Cilliers sewer project had been delayed due to defects identified during implementation, leading to a dispute between the municipality and the consulting engineer.
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He said the municipality and the consultant had since reached an agreement to have the defects rectified at the consultant’s cost.
“The project progress is at 96% and most of the critical infrastructure, including the mechanical and electrical works, has been completed,” he said.
Mbokazi emphasised that the requested extensions would not result in additional financial implications, as the projects would continue to be funded through approved MIG allocations.
He said the extensions would enable the municipality to align expenditure with available annual funding and ensure the completion of the projects within the existing funding framework.
However, the DA, EFF and VF Plus opposed the immediate approval of the extensions, arguing that the council should first conduct oversight inspections, particularly on the Charl Cilliers sewer project, before making a final decision.
The opposition parties requested that the matter be referred back and reconsidered at the next council meeting, where the council would then decide whether or not to approve the contract extensions.
The council speaker, Fikile Magagamela, took the matter to the vote because of differing views, and the opposition parties won 26 to 23, with ANC councillors wanting the extension approved by the council.
“It’s shocking that the Charl Cilliers sewer project that began in 2021 needs an extension in 2026. This alone shows the contractor’s incompetence and our officials’ ignorance. We want to visit the site and see what took them five years to fix, then we come back with a decision,” said Thabiso Mofokeng, EFF councillor.
