South Africa: Corrupt provider dodges accountability

Mr Webster Ndodana , President of the South African Association of Consulting Engineers (left), in conversation with newly inducted Fellow Pepi Silinga (centre) and SAAE Executive Committee Member Trueman Goba (right).


Corrupt provider dodges accountability
Published in: Legalbrief Environmental
Date: Tue 24 July 2007
Category: Litigation
Issue No: 0020

A report in The Herald notes that two years after engaging a consultant to provide an audit of storm-damaged houses in Nelson Mandela Bay, the housing and land committee is still struggling to get the information from the service provider, who has already been paid.
Ndodana Consulting Engineers was awarded a tender in 2005 to conduct a technical investigation of structural defects and disaster-related damage to RDP houses in Nelson Mandela Bay, and to present a comprehensive report, with the numbers of the erven, the extent of the damage and other related issues to the housing and land committee so that it could arrange the funding for repairs. Two months ago, the consultant presented the committee with an incomplete report. The consultant did not stick to the briefing given by the committee and was asked to do the work again. This was after they had been already paid about R700 000.


Provider pockets council money but fails to deliver
By Max Matavire Metro Editor
TWO years after engaging a consultant to provide an audit of storm-damaged houses in Nelson Mandela Bay, the housing and land committee is still battling to get the information from the service provider, who has already been paid.
Ndodana Consulting Engineers was awarded a tender in 2005 to conduct a technical investigation of structural defects and disaster- related damage to RDP houses in Nelson Mandela Bay, and to present a comprehensive report, with the numbers of the erven, the extent of the damage and other related issues to the housing and land committee so that it could arrange the funding for repairs.
Two months ago, the consultant presented the committee with a report which was incomplete. The consultant did not stick to the briefing given by the committee and was asked to do the work again. This was after they had been already paid about R700 000.
Part of the briefing was for Ndodana Consulting Engineers to give proposals for identified houses by providing a specification in each case, to include in its report the corrective actions required where degradation had occurred as a result of topographical, geo-technical and infrastructure service conditions, to provide a cost estimate for such remedial repairs to both the houses and the infrastructure, and prepare a budget report.
A second consultant, Stemele Bosch Africa, was appointed in March this year as project manager for the rectification of the storm- damaged houses. However, it cannot proceed with its work as Ndodana has not provided all the required information.
The housing committee lashed out at Ndodana yesterday for not taking the ward councillors on board so they could help it identify the houses.
Committee chairman Melvin Manentsa said it was now three years that the committee had been battling with the matter.
The houses were damaged during the storms which swept across the Eastern Cape coast in 2002 and 2005. The committee was also angry that about R10-million given to the municipality by disaster management to repair the close to 600 identified houses damaged had still not been used.
“Some of the owners have already moved out of these houses because of the appalling conditions. We are talking about service delivery, but we are not doing it. Somebody somewhere is really not serious about what we are doing,” said Manentsa.
Councillor Elizabeth Trent said Ndodana must table the required report at the committee‘s next meeting, which is only next month.
matavirem@johncom.co.za