adminengineers, Parliament was told yesterday.
A parliamentary portfolio committee on Public Accounts raised concern over the delays of the dam projects being supervised by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority.
Committee chairperson Mr Webber Chinyadza told the House of Assembly that their interactions with stakeholders had shown that all the 14 dam projects being supervised by Zinwa had exceeded completion dates by periods ranging from one to six years.
Mr Chinyadza told the House that an audit carried out by the Comptroller and Auditor General showed that delays were attributed to awarding of contracts to incompetent contractors and shortage of technical staff to monitor project implementation.
The Makoni West legislator was presenting a committee report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the management of dam construction and water supply projects by Zinwa.
“This resulted in increases in costs of projects arising from interest from outstanding certificates, stand-in time for machinery and rising costs of required inputs,” he said.
Examples given of interest accrued included Tokwe-Mukosi Dam, which accrued US$46 million interest between 2004 and 2007, Bubi-Lupane US$49,4 million and Marovanyati Dam US$4,2 million.
Concern was also raised on the capacity of local contractors when Zinwa gave evidence before the committee on why the projects were taking long.
“Zinwa indicated during oral evidence that indigenous contractors usually bring equipment which would break down in two or three days time. In such an event, they are given advance payment, but still do not repair the broken equipment. Zinwa resort to engaging a sub-contractor with equipment to assist the non performing contractor instead of cancelling the contract,” said the committee.
“As for penalties for failure to deliver the results, Zinwa indicated that for indigenous players they usually did not have the resources to pay the penalties while foreign contractors, had no such problems.”
It was also noted in an audit report that contracts were awarded to companies already working on other projects.
One example given was that of Multiforce awarded a contract to construct the Beitbridge pipeline in 2007 when it was struggling to complete Bubi-Lupane Dam awarded in 2005.
On lack of adequate technicians and engineers, it was noted that there was a high level of skills flight although the situation had improved under the multi-currency system.
The committee recommended that Government should concentrate on projects that could be completed with the resource available within a given time.
Bulawayo South MP Mr Eddie Cross (MDC-T) said Zinwa had no capacity to supervise the projects.
“It is critically important that we have these projects supervised by professional engineering firms. Zinwa has no capacity,” said Mr Cross.
Online Reporter