The Moses Kotane Local Municipality in the North West has condemned what it says is a deliberate delay of the completion of the Matau rehabilitation internal road Project in Matau village.
Matau village is one the 107 villages and two townships of the municipality that is situated in Mogwase, a few kilometres from Sun City.
The project, which was meant to be completed in a few months after the main contractor was appointed earlier this year, has been halted three times following disruptions by a group of individuals with ‘business interests’ at the village.
Speaking on YOU FM’s hard hitting Current Affairs Programme, You FM Newshour with Motlhaping Modise, the municipality spokesperson Berlina Lekgethwane said that the second main contractor was appointed after the first one abandoned the site following threats and numerous disruptions of his work.
“Individuals from the local Business Chamber have halted site activity more than three times,
The most recent interaction was on October 29, 2024.
However, Moses Kotane Local Municipality can verify that work on the project has restarted on site as of the beginning of November, including yesterday,” said Lekgethwane.
Moreover, Lekgethwane refuted claims by the local Business Chamber that the awarding of the contract was unprocedural and that local businesses were overlooked in the process.
“The appointment of the main contractor was aboveboard and followed transparent and rigorous processes that involved everyone including local sub-contractors.
“The records of the first meeting with the community on May 13, 2024, with all local subcontractors, wherein the sub-contracting works packages were presented to all qualifying subcontractors and all agreed vividly on.
“However, the local Business Chamber, comprising nine sub-contractors out of the 12 qualifying local SMMEs registered in the database, requested to engage the main contractors in private.
“They demanded unreasonable reimbursement beyond their scope, but the request was denied because that was unethical, unfair to all local qualifying businesses,” explained Lekgethwane.
The Municipality has also criticised unbecoming behaviour by some of the business leaders in the community who disrupted about five meetings with the main contractor, with the aim of obtaining sub-contracting jobs.
“On the 29th of October 2024 just as the third site progress meeting started, the local Business Chamber stormed into the site boardroom and disrupted the meeting even though we attempted to organize another meeting with them through the social facilitator.
“The meeting had to be cancelled due to the intimidation posed by the Business Chamber. The site activities were subsequently halted by the Chamber who also threatened to hurt anyone who’ll continue with any work on site,” said the spokesperson.
The local Business Chamber business leaders elected to remain anonymous and not to take part in the radio discussion on the matter with the Municipality citing fear of intimidation and possibly losing business opportunities within the municipality in the future.
