KZN Transport MEC terminates R87.8 million road contract due to delays
MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma has terminated a road construction contract due to the contractor's failure to deliver, citing prolonged delays and public frustration.
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KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Siboniso Duma has terminated a road construction contract for failure to deliver, citing prolonged delays and public frustration.
Duma has confirmed the termination of a contract for the construction of road P577-02, which links Cowie’s Hill and New Germany to the M13 and M19. The R87.8 million contract was awarded to a contractor on 9 June 2023, with work beginning on 2 August 2023. The project was due to be completed by 24 May 2024.
However, more than 14 months later, Duma said the contractor had failed to make adequate progress despite receiving support, oversight, and deadline extensions.
“We have taken a decision to terminate the contract,” Duma said during a media briefing at Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo House on Tuesday. “In the past 400 days of his tenure, I have been receiving complaints from members of the public about prolonged construction.”
Duma said a notice of intention to terminate the contract was issued on 4 July 2024, giving the contractor 14 days to show significant progress or face cancellation. “Sadly, there has been no improvement,” he said.
The provincial transport department has now begun re-assessing the incomplete works and will start drafting a new tender document to appoint a replacement contractor. In the interim, the current contractor is expected to continue work until formally removed and must ensure road safety before demobilising.
Head of Department Siboniso Mbele has been tasked with fast-tracking the termination process.
The department did not indicate how much had already been paid to the contractor.
Duma said the department would no longer tolerate delays that inconvenience residents and undermine public trust. “A lot of blame, at times rightly so, has been placed at the feet of the department,” he said. “However, the reality is that we have contractors who are failing to honour their contracts.”
He also announced that the department would begin recovering funds from contractors who abandon projects or fail to complete them on time. “This is a demonstration of our firm commitment to ensure that taxpayers’ money is not misused,” Duma said.
The department has not named the contractor but confirmed that punitive measures would be implemented in future to prevent similar delays.