Crematory scam: Company takes four years to deliver
FOUR years after the Bulawayo City Council awarded a tender for the installation and commissioning of a cremator at West Park crematorium, the contracted company is still reportedly failing to deliver the cremator forcing residents to rely on crematorium outside the city.
This comes despite a Government stipulated investigation advising the local authority to invoke liquidated damages to the contractor- Masen Engineeringin an effort to recover the advance payment of $97 120 for purchasing the cremator from China.
Initially the cremator was meant to be delivered within 15 weeks commencing 10 January 2014, after the local authority paid the advance payment.
Responding to questions from Sunday News BCC spokesperson, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu confirmed that the cremator had still not yet been delivered but claimed that they were coping with a wood-fired cremator which was at the crematorium.
“Council currently operates a wood-fired cremator which is in use and on average 12 bodies are cremated per month. To date they have been coping with demand,” said Mrs Mpofu.
Questioned on the failure by the local authority to adhere to the investigation team’s recommendations, Mrs Mpofu alleged that as the local authority they felt it was easier for them to try to have the cremator delivered rather than try to recover the money that had been paid to Masen Engineering. She claimed that the cremator was now in Durban awaiting delivery to the country.
“We are currently in negotiations with Masen Engineering on the logistics of bringing the cremator to Zimbabwe. There are challenges here and there but as an organisation we made a decision to try and get the cremator as compared to recovering the money. It is confirmed that the cremator is in Durban and is held up due to a few logistical problems. If this route fails, we will then sue for recovery of the sum paid. We are working with Masen’s lawyers who have assured us that the cremator is there and will be delivered,” said the council spokesperson.
When Sunday News contacted Mr Sebastian Nobert, the managing director of Masen Engineering, he quickly told this reporter to contact his lawyers.
“Please contact my lawyers as I am not allowed to say anything involving that issue,” he said.
According to the investigation team, which was looking into a number of irregularities within the local authority, the contractor failed to perform within the contract period but council did not invoke the liquidated damages of the contract, to recover what had been paid to them as advance.
“Council entered into a contract with Masen Engineering private limited on 27 November 2013, for the supply, installation and commissioning of a cremator at West Park crematorium. There is a valid advance payment guarantee with Excellence Insurance Company but Council is not utilising that facility,” reads part of the report.
Despite the local authority still struggling to take delivery of the new crematory, just a couple of months ago, they passed a resolution that starting from this year, all children who die below the age of 10, including paupers, be cremated so as to free up the burial space. Further, the local authority has been encouraging people to cremate their beloved ones, saying burial space at the cemeteries was fast running out. However, they have claimed there is a low response from black people to switch over to cremations, with only 13 cremations having been recorded in December last year, compared to 533 burials.