Govt declines to accept refurbished National Stadium

| Friday May 20, 2011 00:00

Mmegi Sport: What is wrong with the renovated National Stadium?

Morupisi: It is the construction of the pitch. There are drainage issues, which we are not happy with. The pitch is bumpy and uneven; otherwise, other structures have been completed and as government, we have accepted them except the pitch and the drainage. The pitch does not drain properly because of the system that has been put [in place].

Mmegi Sport: But if it is the drainage, why is the issue dragging on?

Morupisi: What you have to understand is that these are contractual matters and when we have a contract with another party, we have to respect the processes of managing that contract. You share notes with that particular party. We are in discussion. We have proposed certain measures to the other party. Therefore, we cannot go ahead as government without following proper procedures of the contract. That is why it has taken time. We are cautious that we have to follow certain lines in handling the matter.

Mmegi Sport: Initially, the renovation was meant to be a huge project costing in the region of P400 million but it came down to P60 million. What is the explanation?

Morupisi: The scaling down was due to budgetary constraints. It coincided with the global economic recession and government had to make hard decisions relating to the project. Rather than wholesome changes, we opted for refurbishment.

Mmegi Sport: If the scope of the project was revised, so should have been the time of completion?

Morupisi: I think the revision was necessitated by budgetary constraints. We started with about P400 million until we went down to P60 million. It was revised along the way and the project was supposed to be finished in January 2010.

Mmegi Sport: It would seem there is a blame game going on. Who is to blame for the delay in completing the project?

Morupisi: As I said, we have issues with the team that was contracted to design and supervise the work. In our understanding, the contractor followed the instructions but in the end, the final product was not satisfactory. But I said these issues are contractual. We are now moving to interpreting the legality of some issues. It is something that I cannot make a determination or pronouncement on. What I can indicate is that we have entered into discussions with the other contracted party over the matter.

Mmegi Sport: What direction are these discussions taking?

Morupisi: Normally when such an issue gets to where you do not agree on certain things, you go for arbitration or court interpretation. The routes we can take are still wide open. There has to be an agreement between the two parties if we want to bring in an arbitrator. If you do not agree, then the last resort will be to go to the courts so they assist you to make certain determinations on the disagreements you have.

Mmegi Sport: How far are you from that route (court)?

Morupisi: We are still exchanging notes and we have not agreed on what route to take?

Mmegi Sport: Have you given yourselves a time-frame to say if the matter is not resolved within a certain period, then you will go to court?

Morupisi: There is a clause in the contract that allows each party to follow certain processes in case of disagreements. The times are determined by what has been agreed in the contract. Of course there are limits to the times that we give each other. The process is being followed.

Mmegi Sport: Does this situation probably reflect lack of supervision? Did you fold your arms and watch as things went wrong?

Morupisi: The principle is simple: If I contract you to do something for me, we agree on how you will deliver. I should allow you the benefit of doubt.  Of course we were briefed all the time on progress. We allowed those we contracted to finish their job and then evaluated at the end. We told them that we were not happy with the final product and we seem not to agree on certain issues.

Mmegi Sport: Is it true that the client was briefed on every development but then in the end, fingers started pointing at the consultant?

Morupisi: Certainly that is not true. Of course the client (government) was kept informed of where the project was but we allowed the process to be concluded. We did our inspection and quality control. That is where we pointed out some of the issues. We even raised the issues even before the project was completed but we were told to give those contracted time and (only) judge on a complete project. We were picking certain issues along the way, but in some instances, people will tell you to give them time. The pitch is not like a building. We have to allow the grass to grow. If it is not complete, it is difficult to tell if the drainage system is working or not.

Mmegi Sport: Is it true that there was a P5million error in the winning tender?

Morupisi: That I would not know. The PPADB should know as they are the ones who awarded the contract.

Mmegi Sport: Has the contractor handed over the stadium to the government?

Morupisi: The stadium has been handed over by the contractor to the consultant and not to us (government). We have not accepted the football pitch. We have accepted the buildings, which constitutes part of deliverables. We are satisfied with the buildings, that is, the seats and the offices, which have been occupied by the BNSC. The procedure is that the contractor hands the finished project to the consultant who is supposed to certify the work.

The matter is between us and the consultant. For us it is a clear no. We have not accepted the pitch in its state.

Mmegi Sport: This is not an isolated case or something new. All stadiums which were under renovation or construction took a similar pattern with work delayed. What lessons have you drawn from this?

Morupisi: We have learnt a lot. We need to start right [from the beginning] which means we have to be careful at design stage. We need to minimise questions arising from issues of design. What we have learnt is that not all contractors are competent to do specialised projects. You need special groups. We should ensure that we have expert reference groups at the planning stage, which can interrogate the designs and identify deficiencies at the planning stage. The deficiencies should be reported before construction stage. This will ensure quality is not compromised. I think in previous engagements, we were not thorough.

Mmegi Sport: Did you check the history of these companies?

Morupisi: It is a requirement that companies should indicate where they did a similar project. That should be done during adjudication.

Mmegi Sport: We understand the consultant had advised against the company that did the pitch. What is your comment?

Morupisi: I do not know about the advice against the company. The previous arrangement was that we contract the main contractor and then they will look for sub-contractors. Our point of entry is the main contractor. Whether there was any advice against the company that did the pitch, I wouldn't know.

Mmegi Sport: What do you say about the groundswell of anger among Batswana around this project particularly considering the lost opportunities?

Morupisi: Obviously if we promised to deliver the project before the 2010 World Cup, it is a disappointment to all of us. We share the public's disappointment. But I think it is not our wish that the renovation of the stadium is delayed. Yes, we admit we have failed Batswana. But this is justifiable because we cannot accept the stadium when there are things we are not happy with. Whatever it takes, we will not accept facilities that are not done properly.

We know it is a cost to government but we have to insist that it should be done right. That will ensure that in future, those engaged to do government work will know that we insist on things being done right.

We know there has been loss of income and disappointment to the nation.

Mmegi Sport: What is the situation with the construction of the new Francistown Stadium?

Morupisi: There are problems there as well although they are not similar - to that of the National Stadium. We are trying to resolve them.

Mmegi Sport: Is it the issue of the grand stand, which we understand was not properly done?

Morupisi: Some issues are related to that while others are on the general quality. We have pointed these to the contractor and they are being addressed.

Mmegi Sport: Do you feel the nation has been adequately kept informed on these developments?

Morupisi: The minister has briefed Parliament, cabinet and went to the state television to inform the nation where we are. In my view, we have been trying to inform the nation where we are. If this is not adequate, then we can do better.

But as I said, you would not want to say things that are still being considered through legal means. You would not want to pre-suppose or make judgement on who is at fault. It is not the right thing to do.

Probably that is why we have not made pronouncements in the media on a regular basis. You run the risk of making judgement on the other party to the contract, which is not fair.

Mmegi Sport: Are you close to a solution?

Morupisi: I believe a solution will be found. There are processes within the contract and they will lead us to a solution...

Mmegi Sport: But time is of essence?

Morupisi: Yes, sometimes it takes longer than you wish. We respect each other's position and we will follow the right processes. But I can assure you that we will get this right.