Potholes have been Numero Uno on the agenda, with a bullet; the Alrode South businesses have been expressing their displeasure at the state of the roads in the area, and that’s putting it nicely.
Here’s the problem, as I understand it. The Roads Department have been avoiding the councillors because they don’t want to admit that a number of their members are facing charges on suspected fraud or tender irregularities.
The exact details of this are still unclear to me, but the gist of it is this: The contractor that supplies hot asphalt, was apparently given the tender under suspicious circumstances, that is to say that it may be a “under table deal fable”, a story of corruption and bribery that until proven in a court of law remains a story or accusation or allegation.
This is where the problem comes in, according to the law the Metro is not allowed to re-advertise the tender nor award the contract to any other contractor or company, until such time as the court has decided on the matter.
In other words no verdict, no tar, no tar, no fixing of the potholes. And this is where the damned part comes in, by catching the corruption, sorry alleged corruption, we demonstrate accountable government, but the community will not get the roads they need repaired.
If we didn’t catch the corruption, the community would probably have gotten roads either of inferior quality that would soon break apart again or at an inflated price so as to limit how many potholes could be done anyway.
So you see the dilemma, catch them and the community pays, don’t catch them and the community really pays, and yes there is nothing I can do until the case is concluded. I am sorry, however, that it took this long to get an answer on this, but as I have recently learnt the best way not to get the truth – is to ask for it.
Also read the foll0wing blogs:
Black on White Bridge the Gap The Bag Lady
