Major eThekwini projects stalled

The eThekwini Municipality is struggling to meet its service targets, with major projects hampered by a series of protracted delays. Three months into the 2015/16 financial year, seven critical units had spent just 13% of their R5.9 billion capital budget, councillors in the human settlements and infrastructure committee heard on Wednesday. Projects worth hundreds of millions of rands had been stalled. The below-par performance raised the concern of committee chairman Nigel Gumede and opposition parties. The grim picture was painted by the city’s finance corporate executive, Thabi Khuzwayo. Gumede said: “It’s not good. Let’s be honest.” Khuzwayo revealed that a series of projects had been hampered by delays.

Units in the committee are: human settlements, the eThekwini transport authority, engineering, Durban solid waste, water and sanitation, and electricity. The units account for three quarters of the city’s R39.1 billion budget. Khuzwayo said challenges noted included “delays” in the awarding of tenders, citing examples such as the Cornubia housing project near Mount Edgecombe. “There were also delays in finalising the alternative technology programme … but the BAC (bids adjudication committee) has given approval on October 6, and contractors are anticipated to be on site by mid-November,” she said. This relates to a pilot project of the city using alternative building technology to fast-track housing provision “as part of the city’s strategy to eradicate transit camps and informal settlements”. Water projects had also been delayed. The R15 million Umgeni Reservoir contract for pressure-reducing valves was being delayed by “land acquisition problems”. This was despite the contract’s being awarded in July. Similar projects were constrained by various other challenges. These included a family allegedly demanding an “excessive” R17 million for land. Some of the issues appeared to have been resolved and work was set to start.

A series of sanitation projects for the building of “modular structures” were also delayed and work was now set to begin in January. The engineering department had challenges in the implementation of projects, with a handful of contracts “in the process to be awarded”. A contract for “additions to the electricity control centre” was the subject of a high court appeal and delayed by two years. Despite the city’s winning the appeal challenge, the contract still faced “various logistical problems” which had resulted in payment delays to the contractor. The project was valued at R97 million, with R43 million from this financial year. A lack of skilled in-house artisans had ground to a halt a R30 million project for the refurbishment of an electricity tower in Klaarwater. Gumede said the report showed that the units in the committee might fail to meet targets. “We want to see an improved sheet when it is next presented,” he said.

The DA councillor in the committee, Heinz de Boer, said it was “unacceptable” that the committee had not spent even close to 25% of its budget. “Each councillor can give you a list of 50 things they want done in their communities, but we are scrambling to spend money,” he said. The IFP’s Mdu Nkosi blamed the backlogs on the ANC’s intra-party politics. “Officials are being told to put on hold projects until the eThekwini ANC leadership is decided. You can’t tell me that with so many protests in the municipality, people demanding houses, electricity, you’ve spent so little.” He said no municipality could function without political stability.