Concerns over incomplete bridge in Mvozane

A contractor has only constructed two concrete walls for a bridge in Mvozane in KwaMadlala.


15-08-2022
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South Coast Herald
Source

The project began a few years ago.



Residents, the ward councillor and traditional council in Mvozane in KwaMadlala are concerned that a bridge construction project which was started in 2019, has not been completed yet.



A resident shared a video of the project on social media last week.



Ward 15 councillor Sifundo Ncane is concerned about the amount of money put into the project, and yet it remains incomplete three years later.



Ncane said he is unsure of the exact amount allocated, however, he is certain it is millions.



He believes the project was initiated to mishandle municipal money as it was not of public urgency, but a courtesy project for residents with vehicles to drive on a tarred road.



“What is more strange and of concern is that initially after the contract was awarded, the traditional council in the area was not informed. They only found out after it was handed over to me by Ray Nkonyeni Municipality (RNM) after the previous councillor’s term ended. Problems began after employees and community members for the project were not paid for the work they had done.



“We found out that the contractor was untraceable, apparently he is from Pietermaritzburg,” said Cllr Ncane.



He said it is concerning that the contractor was given so much money, however, failed to pay his workers.



The video shows that a road was damaged in preparation for a new one to be constructed, and with the April/May floods the ground has eroded and motorists can’t make use of the road.



The resident said it has become a safety hazard for children in the area.



“Children are now using the site as a play area. Water surrounding the concrete slabs has now formed a dam, and children are swimming there. There are snakes and recently the community killed a black snake which could have harmed the children.”



Cllr Ncane said he hopes that the municipality could be more transparent about the project, and tell people when it is expected to be finished, and what happened to the funds.



A representative of the traditional council who did not want to be named, met with the Herald onsite, and confirmed the name of the contractor.



He said that residents have reported their frustrations to council and attempts to get hold of the contractor have failed.



“We plan to hold a community meeting to discuss this project and hopefully representatives from the municipality will be available, so that they can give us answers, “he added.



A contractor has only constructed two concrete walls for a bridge in Mvozane in KwaMadlala.



Ray Nkonyeni Municipality and the contractor were contacted for comments, however, none had been received at the time of going to press.

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