Council sets up probe team

HARARE City Council has set up a seven-member team to probe rehabilitation costs of more than $13,8 million for digesters at its biggest sewer treatment plant, Firle Sewage Works, by a local contractor, ERAC. This comes after councillors noted the project had taken too long to complete. The council’s Environmental Management Committee minutes indicate the investigative team comprises four councillors and three external experts.

HARARE City Council has set up a seven-member team to probe rehabilitation costs of more than $13,8 million for digesters at its biggest sewer treatment plant, Firle Sewage Works, by a local contractor, ERAC.

This comes after councillors noted the project had taken too long to complete. It was initially set to start in April 2011 and end in October last year.

The council’s Environmental Man- agement Committee minutes indicate the investigative team comprises four councillors and three external experts — an engineer, a lawyer and an accountant.

Harare Water Department director Engineer Christopher Zvobgo told the committee that on March 22, 2011, the Procurement Board awarded a contract to ERAC for the rehabilitation of sewage works at a cost of $13 816 117,10 paid in monthly instalments of $300 000.

“The project was supposed to be started in April 2011 and completed in October 2015. However, this could not be achieved due to financial constraints and as at 10th December 2015 about 40 percent of the project had been covered and a total of $5 500 157,19 had been paid as detailed in the report,” read part of the minutes.

Eng Zvobgo reported that the payments were being effected as and when funds became available.

“The equipment which was rehabilitated had been operating since 2011 and had gone beyond defects liability period, the breakdowns now required additional funding for the plant to continue operating. Project administration under such a payment scheme was extremely difficult as planning could not be done,” according to the minutes.

“The main treatment plant units (BNR Units and Biological Filters) were now more than 90 percent operational but not even a single digester was 100 percent complete to be able to stabilise sludge to required standards. The three digesters currently being used were functioning as storage tanks. Sludge from Firle Sewage Works was now the major health risk to the environment and handling of sludge at the plant had to be addressed urgently.”

The Environmental Management Committee noted that the City of Harare had already sent instructions to the contractor to carry out critical works, which were done.

It was noted that a claim for payment for the work was submitted and the Harare Water Department had not yet evaluated it since it had only one signature.

“The Director of Works was recommending serving a notice of termination of the engagement as the parties were now working independently and work progress had been affected seriously and the company was now dysfunctional,” according to the minutes.

This led to the council setting up the seven-member committee to investigate the matter.