AFTER following the work progress at the Rachel Finlayson pool on Durban’s beachfront since 2015, DA caucus leader, Nicole Graham has slammed the poor workmanship after an oversight visit to the site last week.
“The quality of workmanship is very poor. There are many sharp and rough edges, uneven paving, and places where the fiberglass is already lifting. Officials were on site and various discussions were held about trying to fix some of the issues. In essence, this whole debacle is an absolute shambles. The oversight seems to have been very poor, the contractor unable to deliver the standard of work required and ratepayers’ money blatantly abused,” she said.
According to Graham, the original tender cost for the project was R4.2 million in 2015. The work was due to be complete in February 2016. In September 2016, Graham submitted questions to Council about why the work at the pool had stopped, what the reasons were and what the costs were. She was told the contract value had been extended by R2.5 million to amend the pool to international competition standards which were in line with the 2022 Commonwealth Games bid.
ALSO READ: Work abandoned at beachfront pool
“I was shocked at the time that this planning had not been properly done and more costs were being outlaid. It was claimed that the project would run a further six months over its initial completion date. By September 2017, contractors were back on site after having abandoned the site for some time, when I visited. I was told that the structural work was finished and the tiling and finishing was all that was left to do. However in early 2018, the contractors again left the site. At the time the City explained that there were financial compliance issues and the contractor had not been paid and had stopped work. By the end of March, they were back on site and June was the scheduled date for when the pool would be open again,” she said.
Graham said following the oversight visit, she was not pleased with the way the pool was looking.
“We had some tough discussion about who is responsible and how the issues can be urgently fixed before this pool is open to the public. Hopefully these matters will be addressed by those responsible. I will continue to keep a very close eye on this. This should be the jewel in Durban’s tourism crown but instead it has become a perpetual construction site and now a very poorly finished product,” she said.
Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail WhatsApp number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts
