R14M SPENT ON HALF-BUILT CLINIC IN RANDFONTEIN

R14.2 million has been spent on a half-built clinic in Randfontein on the West Rand that was supposed to be completed in July last year.

This is revealed by Gauteng Infrastructure Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Mayathula-Khoza, construction on the Randgate clinic was stopped at 52% progress and the contract with the Pazimo/Mintiro Joint Venture was terminated due to non-performance and poor quality on site.

Construction started on 7 May 2013 and it was supposed to be completed on 7 October 2014.

The contractor has been paid R10 084 173, and consultants have been paid R4 111 638.

This is yet another example of a huge waste of money due to a poor choice of contractor and poor monitoring of building progress.

Meanwhile, local residents suffer because a clinic is urgently needed in the area.

Mayathula-Khoza says that the appointment of a new contractor is at an advanced stage, and that June this year is the scheduled date for completion.

I doubt that this new deadline will be met and it is likely that another R10 million will be spent on this clinic because of the department's incompetence.

We have seen cost over-runs and delays in large projects like the Jabulani and New Natalspruit hospitals, but smaller projects like clinics are also handled disastrously.

Professional project management needs to be established as soon as possible, otherwise more money will be lost when building new clinics and hospitals.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, February 19 2015

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