Public Works fires contractor at nKonjeni Hospital due to various concerns

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works has taken further legal action against the building contractor that was already ejected from the Nkonjeni Hospital upgrade project in Ulundi, which has dragged on for nearly six years.

The department was granted a court interdict against the contractor in question on Friday for intimidating workers and barring them from working and entering the site.  

This firm stance comes after the contractor's contract was terminated for repeatedly failing to meet deadlines in completing the Nkonjeni project and subsequently attempting to strong-arm the department into re-hiring his company.

The MEC for Public Works, Martin Meyer said their stance reflected his department's commitment to holding contractors accountable in public infrastructure projects throughout the province.

“We will not be intimidated,” Meyer said in asserting the department's resolve to ensure timely and high-quality infrastructure delivery for the residents of KwaZulu-Natal.

The optimum functioning of Nkonjeni Hospital, which is a 207 bed facility that offers a wide-range of health services, has been impacted by the delays and safety concerns since work on the project commenced in July 2020.

During a recent joint media briefing session with the KZN Department of Health, Meyer said it was an  important decision to sever ties with the contractor following the discovery of multiple issues that had not previously come to light, including the worrying safety challenges on-site.

In light of this, the DOH and pub works petitioned the office of Premier to conduct a forensic investigation into how the previous contractor managed the hospital project.

The forensic probe will delve into potential fraudulent activities, examine the project's documentation, and evaluate the contractor’s overall performance, invoicing, and compliance with contract stipulations.

Preliminary findings from this investigation is expected within 60 days, with a comprehensive report to follow within 120 days.

However, the department of public works' move to pursue legal action has sparked unrest.

Reports have emerged of armed individuals allegedly appearing on-site and attempted to pressure the department into reversing the stance taken against the contractor.

Meyer detailed an incident where the contractor arrived with heavily armed personnel to halt ongoing work, which had the impact of heightening concerns over safety and integrity on the construction site.

Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane lamented the repercussions that the contractor’s inefficiency has had on essential health services delivery, and highlighted that both her department and patients have felt the strain of the delayed and substandard construction work.

She expressed her department’s reluctance to work with the public works department on future projects, based on the troubling trend of unmet deadlines and inadequate service delivery.

The hospital project initially had a R84 million budget, but the cost was currently estimated to be R100 million.

During an assessment visit to the hospital site last month, Meyer expressed his displeasure at the sluggish pace of construction, and emphasised that the state of the project was unbecoming for the department.

Public Works' acting chief director of infrastructure management and technical support, Dayalan Soobramoney, detailed the various challenges that added to the delay on the project.

They included the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, community unrest, adverse weather conditions, and a backlog in payments to contractors.

“We cannot do anything else but humbly apologise to the people of Ulundi and the people of the Zululand District,” said Meyer in response to the local communities wait for service delivery.

DAILY NEWS