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Conrad Mwanawashe Business Reporter
THE National Social Security Authority has cleared the last hurdle in its quest to legalise the use of Beitbridge Hotel following the dismissal of a $1,7 million claim by an architect who sued the authority for underpayment. NSSA failed to receive a permanent Certificate of Occupation from Beitbridge Town Council after Daniel Mandishona who was the architect of the project held on to the architectural drawings until he had received outstanding fees.
Mandishona withheld design papers arguing that the authority had cancelled his management contract.
NSSA cancelled the management contract at the advice of the State Procurement Board because of potential conflict of interest where Mandishona was the architect and project manager.
The SPB argued that Mandishona could not supervise himself.
Through his lawyer, Charles Chinyama, the architect argued that NSSA was underpaying him and he filed a claim for $1,7 million in architectural and management fees for the project.
However, the arbitrator, A P Lloyd from Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans awarded Mandishona $510,000 for project supervision only and not the $1,7 million he had claimed.
NSSA general James Matiza said NSSA has been paying the architect his fees since 2010 and what remained outstanding was only $12,000 from the $510,000 which was charged for the supervision of the project.
“The administrator dismissed Mandishona’s claim. What he awarded were the normal fees for supervision of the project by the architect,” Matiza told our Harare Bureau
“The claim for project management was dismissed. Our lawyers (Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners) are currently contacting his lawyers to pay him the $12,000 that was outstanding and for him to submit architectural designs for the hotel.
He said Beitbridge Town council issued NSSA with a three-month temporary certificate of occupation which expires this month.
“We will then submit the architectural designs to Beitbridge Town Council for them to give us a permanent certificate of occupation,” said Matiza.
The 140-room Beitbridge Hotel is being leased to Rainbow Tourism Group.
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