adminWalter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
MASVINGO City Council’s ambitious $4 million solar street light project has been stalled after the local authority terminated the contract with Joshua Generation, the company that had won the tender for the project.
The project was set to result in the installation of 578 street lights in the central business district but the company had, due to financial constraints, only managed to erect 28 solar street lights along Robert Mugabe Street.
While the town clerk Mr Adolf Gusha played down the new development surrounding the project, Sunday News has it on good authority that the city fathers have unanimously resolved that the contract be terminated.
The reason for the termination of the project whose completion was slated for December last year was the lack of capacity on the part of the contractor.
“The matter you are referring to was brought before a committee responsible for deliberation and a resolution is yet to be arrived at. Concerns have been raised over progress on the project with council questioning the contractor’s financial capacity to complete the project,” said Mr Gusha without elaborating.
However, according to a confidential council report, councillors expressed unhappiness over the delay and considered termination of the contract.
“Council is not happy with the progress made on the $4 million solar street light project. Out of 578 solar street lights that the contractor, Joshua Generation had promised to install, only a few are in place.
“The completion of the project was scheduled for December, 31, 2016 but it seems there is no progress. It was resolved that council should terminate the contract forthwith citing lack of capacity on the contractor’s side,” read the minutes.
Joshua Generation, which was working on the project with Old Mutual and an unnamed Chinese company had not billed council for the project but was set to recoup their costs through advertising space on the street lights over a period of 30 years.
Contacted for comment Joshua Generation chairman and founder Mr Xavier Mzembi played down the new development saying the project was work in progress and nothing has changed.
He said his company was waiting for its money “locked” in CABS and once the money is released work will resume.
“The project for Masvingo is going on, we have not stopped. We are waiting for CABS to release our money to use in the project,” Mr Mzembi said without elaborating.
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