Eastern Cape builders take to streets to demand lion’s share of province’s tenders

MORE than 100 building contractors and consultants in the Eastern Cape yesterday marched to the Bhisho legislature to hand over a list of their demands to premier Phumulo Masualle.

The affiliates of the Eastern Cape Black Contractors Association (ECBCA) and the South African Black Technical and Allied Careers Organisation (Sabtaco) are demanding that 70% of the province’s infrastructure budget be spent on Eastern Cape contractors and consultants.

They are also calling for the Department of Basic Education’s (BDE) R2.3-billion tender to build 29 schools in the province to be cancelled, readvertised, declustered and unbundled, saying the tender requirements deliberately excluded black-owned firms.

Sabtaco national deputy president Monwabisi Rwexu said the members left their offices and workstations to join in the peaceful march to voice their concerns. Their demands include: ● Payment to service providers within 30 days;

● Eastern Cape infrastructure spending be directed at reducing poverty and the unemployment rate in the province;

● Creation of employment opportunities for built environment students;

● Establishment of a board to standardise all documentation; and

● Scrapping of the Construction Industry Development Board as it did not help to develop contractors.

ECBCA chairman Sakhele Skenjana warned that there would be “serious consequences” if the state failed to listen to them.

“The government must stop taking us for granted. Opportunities meant for the Eastern Cape should benefit people from the Eastern Cape. We are not saying that outside contractors must not come [and work here] but there tender tender should be bias to Eastern Cape businesses,” said Skenjana.

Accepting the memorandum of demands, Masualle acknowledged that some of the grievances were cause for concern.

“It’s also our interest that all national programmes rolled out in the Eastern Cape be beneficial to people of the Eastern Cape first. We must be major beneficiaries,” said Masualle.

He said he would engage DBE, Sabtaco and ECBCA representatives to discuss and share satisfactory resolutions to the impasse on the major tender.

Masualle was given 14 days to respond to the demands. —