Firm faces litigation over tender boob

Business Reporter
A BULAWAYO firm is facing litigation after failing to service a tender awarded to it by the Bulawayo City Council in 2013. The council’s director of health services, Dr Zanele Hwalima said Masen Engineering (Pvt) Limited failed to deliver service after winning a 15-week tender (Contract CH1/2013) for the installation of a cremator at West Park Cemetery.

“The City of Bulawayo had floated a public tender for the supply, installation and commissioning of a cremator at West Park Crematorium during the month of July 2013,” said Dr Hwalima, quoted in the council’s latest report.

“To date, over 12 months later, the company has only been able to dismantle the old cremator and to pull down the crematorium chimney but otherwise prevaricating on all the other issues. Nothing else has been done, leaving the Health Services Department with no option but to hand over the issue to the legal section for legal intervention.”

According to the report, the terms of reference for the tender were among other things that Masen Engineering would conduct an assessment of the existing cremator and the structure of the building, specification of the recommended replacement cremator and recommend modification to existing structure.

The firm was also supposed to supervise project implementation till the commissioning of all the works undertaken, arrange and train council technicians/artisans and relevant staff on the operation and maintenance of the installed new cremator.

“On adjudication, the tender was awarded to Masen Engineering (Pvt) Ltd with a proviso that they would carry out the contract,” Dr Hwalima added.

She said the contract provided that, among others, BCC was to pay the contractor 80 percent of the project cost upfront with the rest payable after the commissioning of the project.

The whole project cost was pegged at $121,400 and Masen was supposed to complete the task within a period of 15 weeks.

“Masen Engineering (Pvt) Limited had signed the contract for the project with Bulawayo City Council on November 27, 2013 and was duly paid the required deposit of $97,120 in January 2014,” said Dr Hwalima.

Comment could not be obtained from the firm.