Mbudzi project designers speak out
PROJECT designers for the multi-million-dollar Mbudzi Interchange have poured cold water on reports that the roadworks were inflated, saying everything was being handled professionally and ethically.
Yesterday, there were reports that Mbudzi Interchange project was pegged at US$80 million instead of US$40 million, without evidence to back up the alleged overpricing.
e project is being implemented to ease traffic congestion.
However, in a statement, the contracting firm, DNMZ, said the Mbudzi roundabout project involved a lot of complex and costly issues.
Sources close to the project development, however, said the total costs were way below the purported US$80 million.
“It could be well around US$60 million, including all the other costs; not US$80 million. at’s a blatant lie,” a source said.
DNMZ said they were appointed by the Ministry of Transport as the civil and structural engineers for the Mbudzi Interchange project being built in Harare.
In part the statement reads: “We wish to clarify the following regarding social media articles regarding comments purportedly from ourselves regarding the Mbudzi Interchange Project. Due to professional ethics which we abide to, we do not comment to third parties regarding project information without express approval of the client to do so. is project is no exception, and we hereby distance ourselves from the comments circulating on social media.
“We also wish to clarify our scope of involvement on this complex mega project. Please take note for the project implementation of such a complex structure it will involve the following which we were not involved in: relocation of services costs, professional fees of the other consultants, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, mechanical engineers, and EIA (environmental impact assessment) specialists amongst others.
“Cost of enabling works such as detours and traffic accommodation, compensation of property owners, relocation of people affected by the works, complexities associated with working on live site, payment of royalties for extraction of gravel and aggregates.”