‘Substandard work’ at municipal halls
A REPORT looking at the cost of fixing community halls that had been damaged by a storm in eThekwini Municipality has found that the metro was billed for work before it was done, had overpaid for work, and that repairs soon “crumbled” after they had been completed.
The municipality’s audit committee flagged the expenditure in its report tabled before the executive committee on Tuesday.
The consolidated audit and risk committee report to exco covers the second quarter of the financial year that ended on December 31, 2023. It details significant matters identified by the committee in its meetings held on February 24 and March 8.
Regarding the “Under performance review: Storm damage repairs at municipal halls – Phase 2”, the committee raised concerns relating to the work done. The report did not specify the number of halls where issues had been raised.
“It was discovered that invoices amounting to R1,373,906.24 were submitted before the completion of the agreed scope of work. Payments were made for substandard quality of work where damages were exposed 6 months after the work was completed,” said the report.
The report further said: “The Community
Infrastructure Projects (CIP) Contracts were amended without following all the due processes as required and outlined in the SCM (supply chain Management) policy for the amount of R1 650 000.”
It said payments had exceeded the awarded amount by R616 944.
Excessive material quantities were billed in the Bill of Quantities by contractors.
“The lack of protection of assets and inadequate monitoring of service providers also contributed to the significant absence of economic, effective, and efficient processes followed by the department,” said the report.
Reacting to the report, DA councillor Andre Beetge said this was typical of how the municipality was run.
“There are processes in place, when contracts get awarded, they get advertised and then go through the tender processes.
“It then goes out to be implemented. There are officials who are supposed to constantly monitor the progress on these jobs. Where the contractors are failing, where the quality is substandard, they have to bring them in line.
“We have an engineering department, the architectural department, so there are people there who are supposed to have the skill set to make sure there is value for money for the municipality,” he said.
He said when one finds a situation like this where over R600 000 is overpaid on a contract and for work and that is incomplete, “that smacks of corruption. How is it possible that someone who is supposed to make sure there is quality control and value for money, is not doing their job?”
He said there were many projects in the city where there was shoddy and incomplete work and the municipality failed to get value for money.
In response to the committee’s concerns, the municipality said in the audit report that it would improve on its controls and oversight.
“This shall be done by reviewing the current infrastructure management policy.” It also admitted to shortcomings, stating: “There was a lack of control and oversight.”