Construction industry closure stalls Bulawayo projects

Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Municipal Reporter

THE annual closure of the construction industry stalled a number of major projects in Bulawayo including a number of key water-related schemes aimed at improving the city’s water delivery capacity.

The construction industry shuts down operations every year from around mid-December and reopens at the end of January.

Despite the Bulawayo City Council’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu insisting that the annual closure did not affect council much as some of the contractors could apply for exemption from the closure, a quick perusal of some of the pending projects revealed a number of key schemes that were stalled during the closure.

“The impact of the annual construction industry shutdown on council’s capital projects is minimal or negligible as this is normally incorporated into the works programme. The shutdown period is anticipated and should ordinarily not affect the execution of the works. If there is need for the contractors to work during the shutdown period they apply for the exemption,” said Mrs Mpofu.

According to the council spokesperson some of the affected projects include civil works for installation of six pumps at Ncema and Fernhill works stations, Aisleby one and two treatment plants rehabilitation works, rehabilitation of Matshobana sewer outfall and refurbishment of 6,6 kiloVolt motors Sulzer Electric Motors at Fernhill pump station.

Also included in the list of affected projects is the servicing of 77 medium-density residential stands in Selbourne Park with roads, water and sewerage reticulation systems, servicing of 217 medium-density residential stands in Highmount with water, sewer and roads and the construction of a 2,2 kilometre link road to Hlalani Kuhle development.

Mrs Mpofu revealed that with the reopening of the 2020 construction year their priority will be to conclude the stalled projects and also work on projects under the Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (BWSSIP).

Some of the projects under BWSSIP include the upgrading mains renewal, bulk and domestic metering, refurbishment of water treatment plants, rehabilitation of public toilets, Khami Dam and Thorngrove waste water reuse feasibility study and the supply and installation of solar power for call centre server room.

“We have also earmarked a number of capital projects for the year 2020 which include Marvel outfall sewer rehabilitation, rehabilitation of Nyamandlovu Epping Forest and the rehabilitation of Masiyephambili Drive that is reconstruction, overlay and drainage work, between Victoria Falls Road and Luveve Road. This works will be confined to localised failed sections between Victoria Falls roads and Luveve road,” said the council spokesperson.