By: Bosman Grobler MPL, DA Mpumalanga Spokesperson on Public Works, Roads and Transport
Nine months after tenders worth R92.8 million were awarded for the construction of the Mpumalanga Parliamentary Village, contractors have barely broken ground and the site is still nothing more than bushveld.
The DA recently conducted an oversight inspection to Woodhouse 309 JT, the site where the Parliamentary Village will be built and found that the first two phases, which were supposed to have been completed in March 2018, had been severely delayed.
According to the Provincial Government, the construction of the Parliamentary Village will make travel and accommodation for the province’s 30 Legislature Members cheaper in the long run. However, the DA remains concerned that this project is just a cover to loot state coffers as there are currently at least 4 large scale capital projects in the province that continue to drain millions without much visible progress.
The tenders which were awarded as far back as November 2017 relate to establishing a high level security perimeter fence (phase 1) and the construction of internal bulk infrastructure and services, internal roads and intersections (phase 2). Yet on site, not even one portion of the perimeter has been fenced and the construction of the bulk infrastructure has barely began.
The DA will write to the Public Works MEC, Gillion Mashego, asking him to ensure that all issues affecting contractors are urgently addressed so that construction of the Parliamentary Village can continue.
The Mpumalanga Parliamentary Village has the potential to be a good investment for the province but if construction continues to be delayed and millions continue to be spent with no visible progress, it is likely to join the long list of capital projects that exist only to loot the state further.
Ends,
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