admin
THE much-hyped tender for the renovation of Basch Street (Egodini) bus terminus into a regional public transport hub hangs in the balance, amid reports that some council officials were pushing for the tender to be reversed, Sunday News can reveal.
South African civil engineering firm Tearraccotta Private Limited won the tender ahead of two other local companies to upgrade the terminus, a project that is expected to gobble close to $60 million.
The project had initially been pencilled to start at the beginning of the year, with vendors and kombi operators being told that they would be moved to alternative points by 31 December last year.
However, the project has since encountered a false start, with council officials said to be frustrating the whole process with some even suggesting that the project be reversed and awarded to local companies.
“What is happening is that the company which is based in South Africa has to access funds in that country and if we say this is no longer the case it means the whole project becomes impossible. Some council officials were taking advantage of this to try and frustrate the lawyers representing the company.
“Councillors had to intervene because it was now clear that council was now for some reasons changing goal posts, which meant the project will have to be either further delayed or cancelled,” said the source.
Contacted for comment, the city’s deputy mayor, Councillor Gift Banda, confirmed that the project had hit some hitches along the way but said everything was now on course, with council lawyers set to meet lawyers representing Tearraccotta with the hope of completing the contractual negotiations.
“The project is now on course, lawyers representing both parties were ironing out a few issues. What I know is that they were supposed to meet on Tuesday 6 May, but the South African delegation requested that this be further postponed as they had other pending commitments.
“I would, however, not know off the cuff when the new dates of the meeting will be but it is my hope that the contractual differences will be resolved. I am very confident that the project is going ahead as planned,” said Clr Banda.
He said the council’s goal was to develop the city and ensure that it reached international standards, hence this project could go a long way in helping them achieve this goal.
Early this year, the city’s mayor, Clr Martin Moyo, was quoted in the local Press saying council was now reconsidering their partnership with the company claiming that it was being “evasive”.
“The company that is supposed to upgrade Basch Street Terminus is just too quiet, at the moment we have not heard anything from them and they still have not come to sign the contract, we have done our part.
“We are trying to get hold of them and find out what is causing the delay. We wanted the project to start at the beginning of January,” Clr Moyo was quoted as saying.
When Sunday News contacted an official from Tearraccotta in South Africa, he revealed that they had done their part and the whole project was now being delayed by the local authority.
He claimed they had sent back a copy of their contract to the council, which had instead gone for some time without getting back to them to inform them on the next steps, hence the delay in the commencement of the project.
“We did our part long back but council is the one that is dilly-dallying. At the moment we cannot even say when the project will begin but we remain hopeful that the council plays its part and we commence work,” said the official who preferred not to be named.
The initial tender for the re-development of the terminus was advertised and closed on 25 June 2012, the compulsory tender briefing was held on 5 July with 14 companies attending. The pre-adjudication interdepartmental meeting was held on 11 September to consider the submissions, where Tearraccotta was awarded the tender.
The company was also awarded a 99-year lease of the terminus.
Past projects that have been done by the company include Edendale Shopping Mall in Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu Natal; Chris Hani crossing taxi facility in Gauteng and the Tsakane Mall Taxi rank again in Gauteng.
According to the company’s plans, earnest renovations were expected to begin in six months after the signing of the contract.
“Completion of tenant letting (will be done) in four months, completion of working drawing and development rights (will be) in place in six months and earthworks begin in six months.
“Beneficial occupation of main tenants (is expected) in 18 months, beneficial occupation of remaining tenants in 19 months while official opening and commencement of trading after 20 months,” reads part of a brief that the company sent to the local authority.
Online Reporter