28 Mar 2019

Ministry of Transport and Communications regrets delays in the awarding of road maintenance tenders at the Mabutsane depot.

In response to a parliamentary question on March 27, Minister Dorcas Makgato explained that seven road maintenance projects were earmarked for implementation between 2017 and 2018.

Among the projects, she mentioned the dry grading of Jwaneng-Maokane, Mokhomma-Tsonyane, A2 Junction-Kokong and A2 Junction-Mahotshwane-Sekoma roads, among others.

Further, she indicated that spot improvements were also earmarked for some of the roads.

Ms Makgato stated that the projects were provided for during the 2017/18 financial year at a total of P30.8 million.

She said two of the seven projects were awarded and were thus ongoing, indicating however that the remaining five were at the final stages of procurement and were expected to commence in May for a duration of 12 months each.

The minister said lack of capacity to assess bid documents timely, which she said was a ministry-wide administrative problem, had caused the delays.

She said to address the problem; the ministry was in the process of filling vacant positions and improving quality assurance.

The minister noted that in the short term, a senior engineer had been seconded to augment the available resources to expedite the evaluation and adjudication of tenders.

Jwaneng-Mabutsane lawmaker, Mr Shawn Ntlhaile had asked if the minister was aware of the delays in the awarding of road maintenance tenders at Mabutsane depot.

He had further wanted the minister to state the number of road projects that were earmarked for maintenance between 2017 and 2018 as well as when the projects had received funding, and the amount they had been funded with.

Also, Mr Ntlhaile had asked the minister to say the number of projects that were still to be awarded, their planned commencement and completion dates, the reasons for their delay and what action was being taken to address the problem. Ends