Multi-million Pula project bungled
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday March 30, 2015 16:07
The Minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Nonofo Molefhi told Parliament on Thursday that they had not made progress towards handing over of the 48 housing units in Block 6 in Gaborone, to the Ministry of Health.
He was answering a question from Gaborone Central MP, Phenyo Butale who wanted to know progress made towards the handing over of the housing units.
“Those houses have not been used for almost four to five years due to misunderstandings. But, we had managed to resolve the matter and now we are looking for the second contractor to finish the work that was not completed. Following the adjudication of the disputes by the Disputes Adjudication Board, we are currently going through PPADB formalities to agree on the best way to complete the project,” Molefhi said.
He said the dispute arose while construction was halted.
Molefhi said the two parties ultimately resolved to take the issues to the Dispute Adjudication Board, which has since made a ruling and its decisions have been effected.
However, MPs wanted to know if the second contractor would not cost the government even more money. Mogoditshane MP, Sedirwa Kgoroba said he suspected that proper supervision was not done at the sites, since contractors keep on dumping government projects after taking more than half of the money.
“There is serious shortage of accommodation for civil servants and this kind of projects need to be taken seriously. Again, we should not condone situations in which contractors are not taken to task for failing to complete projects,” Kgoroba said.