R800m East Cape road project runs into problems

Phase two of one of the biggest road construction projects in the Eastern Cape, which will culminate in the tarring of a 52km gravel stretch which in 2015 claimed the lives of 36 people in a horrific bus accident, has run into problems just months after it started.

Last week, several small subcontractors from Dutywa, Xhora and Willowvale in the Mbhashe municipal area alleged they were being exploited by the main contractor, WBHO Construction.

Attempts to obtain comment from the construction company, one of the largest in SA, were not successful.

Phase two of the project involves the tarring of a 15.5km of the notorious gravel route from Willowvale to Msengeni Junction.

In 2020, then transport MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe announced WBHO had been awarded a tender for upgrading the gravel road between Willowvale and the Dwesa Beach.

The total project was valued at R800m and construction work was divided into four phases. The first phase involved the repairing of roads in Willowvale and the construction of a bypass, and this has been completed.

Some of the subcontractors working on phase two, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said their companies were appointed and told to tender according to the packages available on the tender.

“We are new in the industry. From the start, they [main contractor] declined to accept our proposed rates and came up with their own rates, and if we did not accept them, it was a question of take it or leave it.

“Out of desperation we accepted because we wanted to work.”

The contracts they signed when they started work in November were valid for only two months and had lapsed.

However, they were told verbally to continue working, the subcontractor said.

He said the contractor had also also provided them with some working materials, which were later deducted from their pay.

This left many of them without enough money to pay their workers or take care of their families.

They said they had tried to reason with the contractor, but to no avail.

In May and August they even resorted to closing the site, chasing the main contractor away.

Another subcontractor had asked newly appointed transport MEC Xolile Nqatha for help.

A WBHO director said they were not allowed to discuss the contract with the media due to confidentiality issues.

Nqatha, meanwhile, said he had asked for a full report from his head of department.