Diepsloot residents chase Lubbe Construction from K46 site

The K46 road project, valued at half a billion rand, is hanging in the balance after community members recently chased the main contractor, Lubbe Construction, from the site demanding a slice of the tender pie before further work could proceed.

Work was brought to a standstill this week following disagreements between the main constructor and local community members who are entitled to 40 percent of the total value of the tender.

Fourways Review visited the site on 31 March only to find the graders and excavators off-site.

Secretary of the Region A Business Forum, Mzolisi Mbikwane, accused the main contractor of sidelining the local construction community. Mbikwane revealed that the frustrated community members invaded the pitch demanding an ear with the referee, the Department of Gauteng Roads and Transport, before construction could go ahead.

“In phase one of the project, we were made to believe that 26 local enterprises were benefiting [from this project] but this did not happen. We do not even have a list of local constructors who benefited,” complained Mbikwane.

Mbikwane also expressed distaste over the criteria being used to select local beneficiaries of the sub-contractor work. “We are not even part of the selection process and we wonder how the process is even being run,” said Mbikwane in an exclusive interview with Fourways Review.

He also added that the constructor was not employing local skilled workers, maintaining that not even one foreman was recruited from Diepsloot, Fourways and surrounding areas.

Greater Diepsloot Business Forum leader, Peter Molatjane said their members decided to close the project after realising that only a few connected guys were benefiting. “People are not happy with the interviewing process. The main constructor does not even seem to have time to engage with us. He is sending junior people to meetings, knowing very well that they do not have the mandate to make decisions,” said Molatjane.

He, however, said his organisation neither condoned nor condemned the closing of the project.

Contracts manager, Reginald Smith, did not respond to a set of questions which were sent to him by Fourways Review.

One of the site managers who was only identified as Kobus remained tight-lipped when this paper sent him questions.

The stand-off came two months after the MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismael Vadi publicly advised the main contractor, Manda Lubbe, to give 40 percent of the R500 million in sub-contract work to the local community in order to stay out of trouble.

Lubbe had not responded to questions e-mailed to him pertaining to the 40 percent stake which belongs to residents by the time of publication.