Growing concern about service delivery in townships

VEREENIGING. – Service delivery, or a lack thereof, is not only a very concerning issue in the residential areas of Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging. According to cllr Edward Von Bodenstein, chairman of the DA’s Emfuleni Caucus, the situation is even worse in the local township areas.
These areas are not only defaced by potholes, informal garbage dumps and numerous leaking water pipes. Of much concern are also numerous municipal projects that lie unfinished, apparently due to contractors’ lack of competence.
In 2014, the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) awarded a tender for the construction of roads in Evaton Zone 6, Extension 5 (Ward 40) to Tarman Construction and No Limit Construction Companies. This project is known as the R32 project.
According to Von Bodenstein a company known as Engco Consulting was appointed by ELM as consultants to the project, “even though Engco are not engineers per se but technologists.”
The total value of the projects, says Von Bodenstein, was between R18 million and R22 million. The duration would have been eight months starting from March 2014 ending September 2014. To date, the project is still not completed.
“It is common cause that the longer the completion date of a project over extends, the more the negative consequences for the municipality in terms of revenue and service delivery protests. These projects are 13 months overdue,” says Von Bodenstein.
In an attempt to try and remedy the situation, ELM cancelled both contracts for Tarmac Construction and Engco Consultants. “This is too little too late,” is Von Bodenstein’s opinion.
Emfuleni will now have to get more funding for the completion of these projects. As this is the taxpayer’s money, this is tantamount to fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
According to Von Bodenstein ELM claims a dedicated safety company, LLTDS, is responsible for safeguarding the vicinity around developmental sites to ensure public safety.
“This leaves more questions than answers. A few weeks ago, a motor vehicle rolled into a trench which was then excavated by NO Limit Construction Company. This trench was not secured by safety tape. Of more interest is that this trench has been this way since March this year. Some roads that have been excavated are virtually impassable as they have turned into man-made dams,” says Von Bodenstein.
He pledged to take the matter further in order to force the local municipality to, in accordance with the SA Constitution, ensure the provision of services in a sustainable manner, and to promote the social and economic development of the community.