MEC lauds progress made in multimillion-rand construction projects

Progress has been made in construction projects in two hospitals and a school in Durban.

This has left KwaZulu-Natal Public Works and Human Settlements MEC Sipho “KK“ Nkosi impressed. Nkosi conducted unexpected visits to the three construction projects – King Dinuzulu Hospital, Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital and Menzi High School – in eThekwini on Wednesday.

The projects fall under the department’s ongoing service delivery drive named Operation Siyahlola. Nkosi started his visits at King Dinuzulu Hospital (formerly known as King George V Hospital) in the Springfield area of Durban, under the eThekwini health district. A new helistop and parking lot are currently being constructed, with some additions to the value of around R18 million.

The department said that to date, the progress registered on site is sitting at 15% and is due for completion by February 14 next year. Nkosi then moved to Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in uMlazi where the department is behind the implementation and refurbishment of an existing 3.5ml reservoir, which will serve as a water back-up system for the entire hospital.

The project is worth more than R10m and is expected to be completed by November 12, 2024. Nkosi’s last stop, also in uMlazi, was Menzi High School. The MEC had last visited the school on July 4, 2023. This time, Nkosi was surprised to find that considerable progress had been made at the school. The project at the school is valued at over R37m, and people from eThekwini’s wards 82, 83 and 85 are employed for on it.

“I can boldly pronounce that the workmanship I have witnessed today on all three projects is satisfactory, and I am quite confident that the projects will be completed on time,” Nkosi said. In July, the Daily News reported that the construction project at the school had been hijacked by the so-called construction mafia. The 23-classroom project faced more than two years of delays because of the threat from the construction mafia.

Public Works project manager Phumlani Ndlela said that since he took over the management of the Menzi High School construction project in June 2022, it had been disrupted several times. The projected time frame of finishing and handing over the school in 2024 has had to be pushed back to March 2025.

On Wednesday, when Police Minister Bheki Cele was giving updates on progress in combating political killings in the province, he said that causative factors for these crimes are linked to intra-political conflicts, with a few cases linked to other motives, such as taxi violence, domestic-related issues, business competition and traditional leadership competition as well as family feuds.

“Violent competition between business forums over community development projects or tenders was also noted as a possible motive,” Cele said.