Man demands P80,000 for damages to huts

BONIFACE KEAKABETSE
Correspondent | Friday December 17, 2010 00:00

Speaking in an interview with Mmegi, Khaneguba said that on the 30 August 2007 during the course of the construction of the now finished rank, he discovered that his hut had collapsed while his other one roomed traditional house had developed huge cracks in the walls.

'It was scary. Like after an earthquake, there was a huge crack on the ground extending from the rank site in to my yard'.

He said after close inspection, he figured out that the damage originated from the vibrations of the earth moving machines; mostly rollers, which were thumping the construction site in the vicinity.  Khaneguba revealed that ever since then he has engaged the North West District Council (NWDC) as the owner of the project and their clients, Chiangsu, with the object of soliciting compensation for the damage but he has not been successful.

Chiangsu was awarded the tender for building the rank and to pave the central business district by NWDC but the contract was terminated prematurely following disagreements over schedule issues between the two parties in 2008. Khaneguba said since 2007 he had been pressurising the contractors to either compensate him or rebuild his houses but in response he has got a big 'NO' until the company finally left Maun.  According to Khaneguba, Chiangsu management told him point blank that they cannot compensate him for damages as it was impossible that their machinery could damage property in the area exceeding 2.5 meters from the construction site as per the findings of a 'vibration monitoring report' of the project commissioned by Geoprospecting Services.

'Prior to the commencement of the project the company went around our compounds making assessments whether their machines will not affect our properties. They even took some photos. Why did they do that if they were sure our houses were at all safe,' he snaps angrily. Khaneguba wrote in a strongly worded letter of appeal to the contractors that he does not believe the assessment that the machines can not cause damage to properties within the 2.5 metrer saying apart from Geoprospecting no one even the department of mining has the expertise to do the tests. He said even the Botswana Bureau of Standards does not have any construction vibration or noise standards for the construction sites.

'Some of our structures here in Botswana especially our traditional houses should not be assessed basing on the standardards of houses in South Africa or Europe like some construction companies like Chiangsu do,' he said  He stated that he has complained to NWDC who have old him they is nothing there can do since the contractor has now finished the project is now out of Maun.  'The thing is I have lodged numerous complaints to NWDC since 2007. Most senior staff who dealt with my issue like former council secretary, Paulos Nkoni have either retired from work or have been transferred to other councils.

'Now I am told I should go to court since they is nothing they can do. Whether they are traditional houses or what,  this is my property and I should be accordingly compensated for it'.  Khaneguba reiterated that he has written the Attorney Generals Chambers whom in response, he said, have written him that his matter is purely a private matter.

'I am still measuring my chances but should I proceed to court I will demand P80 000 for each house from Chiangsu in compensation' he said.  NWDC public relations officer, Wada Motsamai, in an interview, confirmed that the council has received grievances from Khaneguba but said his is one of the many complaints from different residents on the China chiansu contractors. She said at the moment the council is assessing the best option to help the residentts as the contractor is no longer in the employ of the council.

She further revealed that the council will ensure that what happened to the residents won't happen again in future council projects.  Currently, the council has received 300 reports of damage to peoples houses during the ongoing construction of the 19 km Maun internal roads by another Chinese contractor, Tuwana.