Departments dysfunctionality – FF Plus requests PP to investigate failed road projects

FF Plus

Departments dysfunctionality – FF Plus requests PP to investigate failed road projects
Departments dysfunctionality - FF Plus requests PP to investigate failed road projects

The FF Plus has asked the Public Protector (PP) to investigate the failed road projects of the Free State’s Department of Police, Roads and Transport.

This Department has instituted legal proceedings against construction companies that received tenders for road projects.

These contractors were unable to complete the projects assigned to them. And in some cases, the roads that were built are substandard.

The estimated value of these contracts amount to approximately R831 million. The Department is currently trying to recover some of the lost funds through legal action.

Meanwhile, the Department was compelled to deviate from procurement processes to appoint new contractors to complete the failed and incomplete projects.

Seeing as the province’s roads are totally decayed, it is unacceptable that the Department did not take the necessary care to ensure that it awards tenders to contractors with proven records of constructing good quality roads.

The Department also failed to perform its duty of continually monitoring the projects in question.

Thus, the FF Plus has requested the PP to investigate the Department’s control mechanisms for awarding tenders.

Similar project delays, failed road projects and more litigation must be prevented.

Some of the Free State’s roads have already been labelled roads of death and the province cannot afford any further losses with regard to its road infrastructure.

The FF Plus regards the litigation value of these court cases essentially as an admission by the Department that it does not manage state funds in accordance with the provisions of legislation.

Communities deserve proper service delivery, and the FF Plus will continue to see to it that departmental dysfunctionality does not hamper these services any further.

Read the original article in Afrikaans by Armand Cloete on FF Plus

SOURCEFF Plus