ADM to fix up its costly toilet troubles
AMATHOLE district municipality (ADM) yesterday launched Phase Two of its troubled accelerated sanitation programme.
The programme was launched by mayor Nomfusi Nxawe, who said the municipality was now ready to resume with the sanitation project.
Phase One, worth R631-million, was initially awarded to the politically connected Siyenza Group – however, the work was never completed.
The company, which has links to several highranking national ANC leaders, was awarded the tender to erect 66 700 toilets for ADM’s rural areas.
“I now have the pleasure to inform you that ADM will resume work to reduce a back-log of over 84 000 households,” Nxawe said yesterday.
A total of 2 000 toilets will be built in the Raymond Mhlaba municipality, 2 000 in Amahlathi, 1 400 in Mnquma and 2 900 in Mbhashe local municipality.
She said during the rollout programme, more than 68 000 households would benefit at an estimated cost of R91.6-million.
“At the completion of this phase, an estimated number of 8 300 VIP toilet structures would have been built. Community engagements have already started with beneficiaries before the contractors start building VIP toilets,” Nxawe said.
The announcement came after Nxawe officially introduced the municipality’s new manager Thandekile Mnyimba to the media at the Abbotsford Christian Centre yesterday morning.
Mnyimba further said an investigation was currently underway into the R631-million tender awarded to the Siyenza Group.
“We approached the Minister of Water and Sanitation Affairs [Nomvula Mokonyane] to take over that project and the ministry awarded that project to the Amatola Water Board to implement it.
“It will be funded by the ministry and will go straight to Amatola Water Board. The ADM is no longer part of that project now, we are out of that.”
Mnyimba said Phase Two was funded by National Treasury and it was “additional funding to resuscitate the acceleration sanitation programme and assist us to deal with the backlog of 84 000 households without access to sanitation”.
ADM was scheduled to have completed the 8 300 toilets by June. The work should be completed in July, Mnyimba said. —