Solly Msimanga urges blacklisting for failing contractors

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga has called for theblacklisting of companiesand service providers who have failed to meet targets and complete contracted projects on time. According to the DA leader, one of the biggest impediments to infrastructure maintenance and advancement in the province is the constant delays to projects and, if delivered, low-quality, shoddy work. “To solve the problem of infrastructure projects constantly running behind schedule, the blacklisting of construction and other companies that are unable to complete the work on time and within budget must take place,” Msimanga said.

“We cannot have municipalities constantly giving work to the same companies that are known for their shoddy workmanship or non-delivery of service. We cannot have a provincial department following suit and giving contracts to companies that are known for not completing work on time or leaving shoddy workmanship in their wake.” Speaking at the party’s headquarters in Bruma, Msimanga has laid bare what his party calls the true state of the province address, seeking to expose the real state of affairs and challenges facing the people of Gauteng. Saying service delivery in the province was hanging by a thread, Msimanga warned that it would come to a complete collapse should urgent action not be taken.

“Crime is increasing, water and electricity outages are becoming more frequent and our roads are littered with potholes, fading or non-existent road markings, and sinkholes. Streets and homes in various parts of this province are being flooded with raw sewage. Residents in desperate need of medical treatment are forced to sleep on the floor due to a lack of beds.” The DA provincial leader referred to the recent tragedies faced by residents in the province, from the scholar transport crisis and the terrorised communities of Randfontein due to illegal mining activity, to overcrowding in schools resulting in placement challenges, as indicative of a province in tatters.

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While the G20 summit was under way, residents in the Johannesburg central business district (CBD) experienced a power outage lasting 10 days. This is the side of Gauteng that the G20 delegates did not see. If we want to right the ship, we need to start with the basics.

We need to go back to basics and fix what is broken However, he insisted that those problems were not new and that they had come to the fore because of failed leadership. “These are problems that the province has been grappling with for a long time while provincial leadership has slept at the wheel. The residents of Gauteng are reaching breaking point. Solutions, not more promises, are needed to fix Gauteng immediately.” On infrastructure, the DA leader reflected on the previous state of the province address (Sopa), in which Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi is said to have identified 13 key infrastructure priorities, including:

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