Broadhurst Court Extension Project Bleeds P4m
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday August 24, 2020 13:31
This is despite officials at the time of the delivery of the project crediting the contractor, Red East Construction, “for delivering the state-of-the-art Broadhurst Magistrate’s Court on time and within budget”.
Auditor General (AG), Pulane Letebele stated in her report on government accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2019 that the issue of cost overruns has become a regular feature in project implementation showing government coffers haemorrhaging millions of pula.
According to the AG’s report, the Magistrate’s Court extension project, which officially opened in 2018, was a renovation at the tune of P80,729,751 by the Chinese company against an initial budget of P75,626,898, recording an additional P4,554,333. The extension comprised six courtrooms and corresponding magistrates’ chambers, regional court, juvenile court and ancillary offices for interpreters and security personnel scheduled for a period of 70 calendar weeks running from January 2016 to May 2017.
However, the 70-calendar weeks contract completion period was not achieved due to several requests for more time over a number of reasons.
It is said that some of the reasons included changes in the scope of works purportedly to enhance the function of spaces and to improve the security of the facility.
Other factors included work stoppages occasioned by heavy rains during the period from November 2016 to February 2017 and delay in the supply of BTC pipes, which were received in January 2017, instead of October 2016.
It is also said that the construction experienced delays in the appointment of mechanical and electrical subcontractors by the employer, which ran into 14 calendar weeks.
“The matters of cost and time overruns have become a regular feature in the implementation of government projects, involving considerable sums of money,” Letebele stated. Letebele added apart from the rains, which were beyond the control of the parties, the other instances that required time extensions could have been better managed with diligent project planning.