The half-built Randgate Clinic has been called a massive wastage of money by the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The clinic according to Jack Bloom, Gauteng DA Shadow MEC for Health was supposed to be built in a year and a half at R15 million but has since had three contract changes at over R40 million.
Infrastructure Development MEC Jacob Mamabolo told Bloom the delays were due to poor performance and poor quality by the contractor.
The initial contractor did a less than adequate job despite being paid R10 million and consultants R4,1 million. The second contractor was then given an amount shy of R4 million subsequently a third contractor will now take over the project.
The total amount to complete the clinic has now tripled at over R40 million as an amount of R30 million over and above the initial R14 million is expected to see the project to completion.
It is scheduled to be completed in October this year, two years after the original completion date,” Bloom said. Construction will resume on 18 April.
Mamabolo said the initial completion date was supposed to be on 11 November, 2015, however, Bloom said he was told in a written reply by the department that construction only started on 3 May, 2013 and was supposed to be finished on 7 October, 2014.
Sina Erasmus, DA Councillor for ward 4 said the community has fought for nine years to get the clinic and now that it’s built, it’s falling apart. Erasmus feels that it is a great travesty that the community are the ones left feeling robbed by the government.
“This is a massive wastage of money because of an appalling choice of contractor who still got paid a large amount of money,” Bloom said.
Mamabolo said the contractors will be removed from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) contractor database and will subsequently not be eligible to do work for the GDID in future.
Not only did the most recent contractor do a shoddy job of the clinic, they have also not paid the security company they sub-contracted, Lekgoe Security, for the past four months.
“We’ve been working for them for a year and for the past four months, we haven’t been paid.
They didn’t inform me that the contract was terminated.
“When I call and ask, they say they don’t have money to pay us. My security guards are striking and breaking my windows because they haven’t been paid. This is unacceptable,” Isaac Lekgoe, owner of the security company said.
Want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us an SMS/ WhatsApp message with your name and cellphone number to 079 413 8726.
Familiarise yourself with our WhatsApp service disclaimer.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites Roodepoort Record, Krugersdorp News and Get It Joburg West Magazine
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
