The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has no contract in place at present for pothole repairs or the painting of road markings. This was confirmed by mayor Babalwa Lobishe, who pleaded with residents to be patient as the metro addressed the issue of evergreen contracts. An evergreen contract is an agreement that automatically renews unless one party gives formal notice to terminate it.
These contracts have long been a flashpoint in the metro, with councillors repeatedly complaining about the continued use of certain service providers. “We’re trying to put systems in place. There will be irritation.
We want you to pardon us,” Lobishe said. “I want to request this to all our residents, there is going to be a little bit of irritation around the non-availability of services because we’re trying to close some of the evergreen contracts, and we’ll have to wait for procurement to start. “In infrastructure and engineering, there are evergreen contracts on sewer contracts that have been extended for more than 15 years.
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“We know there’s an extension on roads, hence there is this delay.” She said new contractors would be in place by Monday. “Contractors were meant to be appointed as early as a month ago. “On the contracts, particularly on roads, there are disputes. “We’ve sat down with the city manager [Lonwabo Ngoqo].
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