Last Friday’sWitnessreport on the “Kamberg Road Crisis”, regarding a collapsed R200 million upgrade project, refers. Mpofana ward councillor Zweli Dladla, readers were informed, stated the following: “The original contractor failed to meet contractual obligations.” Isn’t this, in a nutshell, the national problem of infrastructural maintenance being put in the hands of officials who do not have the skills to manage contractors? And contractors who do not have the skills to carry out the work for which they are paid?
How many contractors are paid substantial amounts upfront, only to spend those funds on luxury car and bling, and then disappear half way through the contract when the money runs out? Is it not time that the government of provincial unity disclosed and accounted for all the monies wasted on contracts to fix the provinces roads? There must be many such contracts of failed delivery and wasted resources.
It is not time for the recovery of funds overpaid? The government of national unity (GNU) seems to have gone quiet on the gross mismanagement of resources by the previous ANC government. The opposition parties cannot fail to disclose corruption and wasted resources merely to appease their partners in government.
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If this is allowed to happen, the country will continue towards a failed state. The only way there can be an improvement in the KZN road network is if the awarding of contracts for maintenance and upgrades is taken away from officials and politicians, and placed under the control of professional engineers who are held responsible for vetting the proposed contractors. And are responsible for the proper measurement of work completed before payment to contractors. If the parties in the GNU expect continued support at the upcoming elections they need to show that the past habits of the ANC are no longer acceptable, and that there must be accountability for corruption and incompetence.
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