Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) should be more vigilant in dealing with contracted companies and ensure that they do not milk the local authority and Government.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube said this yesterday during a tour of Southern Areas Sewage Treatment Works which is being rehabilitated.
The treatment plant is being rehabilitated after it was closed in 1995 due to obsolete equipment.
The project is partially funded by Government through devolution funds while the municipality is also involved in the funding of the project.
Part of the plant was commissioned earlier this year and rehabilitation of the equipment is now 70 percent complete with installation of other machinery at the plant set to be completed before the end of the year once funding is released.
Officials from the local authority said once all the rehabilitation of Southern Areas Sewage Treatment Works are complete, council will be able to recycle water which will be channelled to industry.
They said the processed water can also be used in the construction of a planned hydro power plant by the Zimbabwe Power Company which wants to use Khami Dam water for power generation.
Minister Ncube was briefed that contractors were demanding US$500 000 to complete the project.
She encouraged council to investigate the funds that are being demanded by the contractor before funds are released.
“I was surprised because you said that 70 percent was covered using US$3 million and the remaining 30 percent needs US$500 000. You need to seriously look into that because we don’t want to be found wanting. This is a good project and under difficult circumstances we are trying as a province,” said Minister Ncube.
In response, acting Town Clerk Mrs Sikhangele Zhou said council will be meeting with the contracted company so that it can explain how it arrived at the figure.
Government has adopted a stern stance on payment of inflated prices to contractors.
Treasury has said it will not release funds to ministries, Government departments and parastatals to pay for services and goods that are charged using parallel market rates as this was fuelling inflation.
Minister Ncube said council should ensure that contracted companies do not fleece Government and council.
“We expect the council to have a close surveillance on those who would have been awarded tenders so that contractors do not milk the local authority as well as Central Government. Works should be done in a dignified manner which is also acceptable,” said Minister Ncube.
She said council just like Government, should strive to provide a good service to residents.
Mrs Zhou said changes in the macro-economic environment as well as the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 have had far reaching effects on council projects.
“Most of our contracts were affected by unforeseen circumstances, some of them started when we transitioned from US dollar to adoption of local currency when it was still US$1:ZW$1. When we started finding each other with contractors, Covid-19 also impacted on us,” said Mrs Zhou.
“Most of our equipment is manufactured outside the country and is custom-made meaning they are only manufactured where we have made an order. But due to Covid-19 it was difficult to ship some of our equipment. But since the world has reopened the value chain and shipping has become easier.”
She said council will engage the contractor for the Southern Areas Sewage Treatment Works project to establish if the new charges are justified.
“We are pushing the contractor and where he claims there are increased costs, we have to make our own assessment to establish if this is justified. If the contractor fails to justify the incurred costs, then we will have to negotiate. We believe we will find each other and complete this project and we will be able to use Southern Areas Sewage Treatment Works,” she said.
Mrs Zhou said the sewerage treatment plant is being rehabilitated after it was closed in 1995 due to obsolete equipment.
She said council has been using Aisleby as the main sewerage treatment plant but is in the process of resuscitating two more areas.
“We also borrowed from the bank US$8 million in a bid to address the issue that was flowing into the bush. After we attended to that, Government came in with devolution funds, which enabled us to buy pumps for the project. Initially we received $400 million for devolution funds but more funds have been received after,” she said. — @nqotshili
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter