Brand new P8m SPEDU cars waste
Staff Writer | Friday February 19, 2021 16:07
The contractor acquired two Fortuner, one Toyota Corolla and 14 Toyota Hiluxes. The vehicles were supposed to be utilised for the SPEDU 3, 500-job development project, which has since been halted following a Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) probe. The contract would have commenced on September 8, 2020, without delay, but the Ministry of Lands Management, Water and Sanitation Services was instructed by the spy agency not to release funds for the project in Selebi-Phikwe.
The DIS only informed SPEDU and the ministry of the investigation instructing them to put the brakes on the project. Although the ‘investigation’ has yielded zilch, DIS is yet to give SPEDU Limited, the ministry and the contractor, Marcian Concepts, the go-ahead. Around July 2019, SPEDU Limited floated the tender and Marcian Concepts (Pty) Ltd was declared a successful bidder on June 3, 2020, and accepted the offer.
Before the DIS stopped the commencement of the project, Marcian Concepts claimed that they were within schedule as they were busy with mobilisation and establishment, bush-clearing and grading.
The project had been divided into two phases and the P230.5 million Phase 1 works contract entailed the provision of detailed designs of infrastructure, construction of roadworks, storm water drains, water reticulation, sewer pump stations, power reticulation, street-lighting and telecommunication.
Its period of performance is estimated to be 15 months with a 12-month defects notification period. “The powers-that-be at DIS are hell-bent on frustrating some citizen contractors in favour of those that sponsor the ruling party.
It is a matter of time they pay for their evil intentions,” a DIS source, like a fly on the wall, and seething, buzzed on the case and probe.