30% of work to go to local contractors

According to Enoch Mgijima Contractors’ Forum chair Sydney Mpiti, the department of public works says 30% of the work which was meant to benefit local contractors at Komani Office Park Extension and Bulelani Senior Secondary School projects, was still available.

This followed after Komani contractors had closed down the two aforementioned sites to prevent work from progressing in order to get the attention of the department last Monday and Tuesday.

Mpiti said, “We were dissatisfied with the sluggish manner the department was bringing local economic development to local contractors. At the meeting, department officials said the two projects had not yet reached the

60% mark and that there were packages set aside for us.”

The department is currently breaking down packages which will be advertised.

Komani Office Park Extension is a

R124m triple-storey building project for the departments of education (DoE) and sport, recreation, arts and culture’s (Dsrac) new offices in the Komani Hospital area.

The Bulelani Senior Secondary School which is being built in Ezibeleni, is worth almost R50m.

Public Works communications director Vuyokazi Mbanjwa said Chris Hani District public works officials had met with the contractors last Tuesday. There were two work packages set aside for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and the Integrated Contractor Development Programme (ICDP) in the Komani Office Park Extension for the DoE and Dsrac projects.

“One has been awarded and another one will be advertised in November. In the Bulelani project, there are three work packages set for ICDP with two at the adjudication stage and one to be advertised before the end of October.”

She said the local contractors currently employed at the Bulelani school project were Express Builders from Berlin and an 4RGA electrical sub-contractor from East London.

At the Komani Office Park Extension she said local contractors were (work package 1): Cosy Rock Trading (Komani); Power Connection electrical sub-contractor (East London); Amatola/ Airfire Solutions JV air-conditioning sub-contractor (East London).

“The fire detection and prevention systems sub-contractor and work package 2 are still to be appointed.”

The main contractor at Komani Office Park Extension is Schauman Builders from Bloemfontein.