“This whole project is a disgrace and I have my doubts that the pipeline will serve the purpose for which it is intended.”
This criticism comes from the Panorama Residents Association chairperson, Dave Baxter, who lambasted Maziya General Services, the construction company in charge of the F46 Rand Water pipeline project.
A dissatisfied Baxter slammed the construction company for failing to meet any of its deadlines, and on top of that, disregarding residents’ frustrations.
Read more:
https://roodepoortnorthsider.co.za/286454/housing-plan-in-the-pipeline-for-plot-323-dwellers/
The project started in May 2016 and was expected to be completed at the end of 2017. However, after that failure, the company extended the date to February 2018. Even then, the project was not completed, resulting in a further extension to August 2018, which was agreed upon during a community meeting at Panorama Primary School in May 2018.
“Now, more than a year since that meeting, residents of the area are still severely impacted and inconvenienced by Maziya’s presence in the area and their failure to restore JG Strydom Road and its sidewalks to their original condition.
“Work is progressing at a snail’s pace and Maziya seems to be in no rush to complete the project,” Baxter criticised.
“Residents’ frustrations are disregarded and we are being treated with contempt. On 24 June, I requested Maziya General Service project manager, Johan Pretorius, to furnish me with details of how residents can go about claiming for damage to their vehicles from loose and flying stones. Simultaneously, Michael Steyn, one of my committee members, requested that some form of signage be erected to warn motorists of the road works taking place. To date we have not even had the courtesy of a reply from Maziya. No attempt has been made to warn motorists or even to try and sweep some of the loose gravel from the road. Occasionally a water tanker dampens the road surface to reduce the dust,” Baxter explained.
Pretorius responded to the complaints as follows:
“I know it might look like not a lot is happening, but we have people inside the pipe cleaning and repairing. We have people inside the air valve, scour valve and valve chambers too, and this might be the big reason the project appears to be quiet but not completed.
“We are concentrating on getting all the junctions and tarring work done, but we are experiencing complications at a tie-in point (a section where the new piping connects to the old) that is both high risk and very sensitive, as well as essential for the completion and connection of this pipeline,” he explained.
He added, “Rehabilitation of the sidewalks will start within the next two weeks, as will the cleaning up and making good of the surrounding areas.”
He also responded to the matter of damage claims. “Any claim or potential claim can be sent to me via email to johan@maziyagroup.co.za and Lucky Qotoyi (lucky@maziyagroup.co.za). We will then send it to our claims department, which will take the claim up with our insurers. Feedback will be provided as soon as we receive anything back from them.”
He said further that residents must please ensure that they send in the time and date of the incident, photos of the damages, a description of where the damages occurred, and three repair quotes with their claims.
