Ward 88 Lungile Mtshali Project not worth a million bucks

In a media statement released in December by DA Ward Councillor in Ekhurhuleni, Wollaston Labuschagne, he states that the Lungile Mtshali Project has afforded every Ward Councillor in the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) an opportunity to choose one project per financial year for their ward to the value of R1million.

Ward Councillors can choose a project from a list provided by the COO’s office.

Once a Ward Councillor makes a decision on a specific project, the responsibility is then given to a certain department depending on the type of work that needs to be done. The purpose of the legacy project is to improve infrastructure in the various wards and develop the community.

The Ward 88 project for the current Financial Year is the upgrading of a public park in Alra Park. The CoE Parks Department was, therefore, tasked with obtaining quotes from their list of contractors and awarding the necessary tenders. The process seems straight forward enough and it appears that Ekurhuleni residents will benefit from infrastructure development and improvement. However, this is where greedy, unscrupulous contractors and some corrupt officials see a way of enriching themselves at the detriment of the residents.

The public park affectionately known as Mabob Park was identified and I met with the relevant Parks officials and representatives from the contracted company. A CLO was appointed and once the work commenced, I immediately realised the contractors were not appropriately skilled and equipped as progress was incredibly slow and building material was delivered in drips and drabs.

Upon realising the poor workmanship on this project, I submitted a set of questions to the MMC of Environmental and Waste Management Department (which includes Parks), Cllr Ndosi Shongwe. Judging by the answers received, it is clear as day that MMC Shongwe has no control over her department because she has allowed the looting of public funds on her watch.

According to the MMC, the project was completed on the 28 September and the project budget has been paid in full to the contractor. I have seen this ‘completed’ project and I cannot comprehend how such nominal work is worth R1 million! The instant lawn that was seeded, died within a week, the playground rubber surfacing and flooring came loose only a day after it was laid and only a few puny little trees were planted. Only about R200,000 was spent – definitely not a million Rands or anything close to it.

It is obvious that some officials colluded with the contractor. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni will be requesting an official and comprehensive breakdown of all costs and invoices, including proof of the CoE official who signed off on this project. We want to know how full payment was made without any opportunity for retention of payments to ensure sustainable quality. We will also request a copy of the post-completion maintenance plan for this project, together with the proposed funding allocated for the required post-completion maintenance.

The Lungile Mtshali Project is just another example of poor service delivery by the ANC. The DA will not sit back while the City’s officials enrich themselves at the expense of the poor and desperate. We can no longer stand by and let a select few steal the future of our people for self-enrichment. We will remain committed to rooting out corruption and ensuring that the rights of the residents of Ekurhuleni are always protected.

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