Work on Rundu weather office starts
27 May 2019 | Infrastructure
The works ministry has appointed Bongi and Prince Trading to complete the construction of the outstanding and shoddy works done at meteorological office at the Rundu airport which was abandoned by the initial contractor.
On Thursday last week, Bongi and Prince Trading was handed the site to complete all the outstanding civil works, likely to be carried out in the next two months.
This comes after the works minister, John Mutorwa, intervened in the matter when he visited the site in March. A dismayed Mutorwa was not convinced by the explanations given by the ministry's officials as to why the N$5.7-million project was an abandoned site while the contractor was already paid N$5.4 million.
“I am disappointed because someone was paid with taxpayers' money to construct this infrastructure, but they have not delivered as per the agreement,” Mutorwa said during a site visit in March.
“It is this don't-care attitude which is costing government a lot of money. There are quite a number of capital projects under the ministry of works that I am aware of that are incomplete, but people are very fast to write out cheques.”
The tender to construct the meteorological service office was initially awarded to Rundu-based Fermour Investment CC in 2013 and it was expected to be completed by 21 March 2014.
The completion date was later moved to 19 June 2015, however, the contractor could not complete the project by that time either and eventually abandoned the site. The contract was only terminated on 18 October 2018.
It was on that basis Mutorwa ordered his ministry's officials to work around the clock to ensure that all processes are followed for securing a new contractor to complete the outstanding works and for the office to become operational.
The project is said to be 90% complete and the outstanding work includes the electrification of the building, the installation of air conditioners, as well as a storm water channel, and dealing with several minor defects.
The region's meteorological staff are currently operating from a house in one of Rundu's townships.
KENYA KAMBOWE
On Thursday last week, Bongi and Prince Trading was handed the site to complete all the outstanding civil works, likely to be carried out in the next two months.
This comes after the works minister, John Mutorwa, intervened in the matter when he visited the site in March. A dismayed Mutorwa was not convinced by the explanations given by the ministry's officials as to why the N$5.7-million project was an abandoned site while the contractor was already paid N$5.4 million.
“I am disappointed because someone was paid with taxpayers' money to construct this infrastructure, but they have not delivered as per the agreement,” Mutorwa said during a site visit in March.
“It is this don't-care attitude which is costing government a lot of money. There are quite a number of capital projects under the ministry of works that I am aware of that are incomplete, but people are very fast to write out cheques.”
The tender to construct the meteorological service office was initially awarded to Rundu-based Fermour Investment CC in 2013 and it was expected to be completed by 21 March 2014.
The completion date was later moved to 19 June 2015, however, the contractor could not complete the project by that time either and eventually abandoned the site. The contract was only terminated on 18 October 2018.
It was on that basis Mutorwa ordered his ministry's officials to work around the clock to ensure that all processes are followed for securing a new contractor to complete the outstanding works and for the office to become operational.
The project is said to be 90% complete and the outstanding work includes the electrification of the building, the installation of air conditioners, as well as a storm water channel, and dealing with several minor defects.
The region's meteorological staff are currently operating from a house in one of Rundu's townships.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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