04 Sep 2019

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing on September 2 handed over the site for the construction of the P419 million Moshupa primary hospital.

 Construction of the 70-bed facility, which is envisaged to take 30 months to complete, is expected to commence on September 20.

Speaking during the handing over ceremony, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development Mr Dikagiso Mokotedi underscored the need for cooperation between the construction team and Moshupa community for effective delivery of the project.

 He said all stakeholders should work as a team for the common purpose of completing the project on time.

The facility, he said, was for the development of the village therefore the community has to play a role in ensuring its success. 

He promised that there would be regular engagements with the community to exchange ideas and assess progress collectively as stakeholders.

Mr Mokotedi said plans were underway to survey all buildings closer to the construction site in order to record their status for the purpose of avoiding conflicts at a later stage. 

He appealed to the village leadership to manage criminal activities common at construction sites noting that theft of material could cause project delays.

They were also urged to encourage future employees of the project to be professional in executing their duties to avoid delaying the project.

Mr Mokotedi called on the project manager to strive  for working within budget and saving costs.

For her part, Ministry of Health and Wellness permanent secretary Ms Ruth Maphorisa said the ministry was looking forward to the completion of the project which would improve access to health services.

“We are looking forward to the completion of this hospital as part of our service delivery borders on access. The hospital will reduce the distance for accessing medical services at other facilities in Kanye and Thamaga,” she said.

Ms Maphorisa emphasised the need for the contractor to pay attention to detail and avoid the use of sub-standard material.

 She said the project was a specialised facility and urged the contractor to deliver a good quality structure to avoid cyclic maintenance earlier than expected.

The permanent secretary also called on the contractor to provide condoms at the site to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.

“The project will attract many people to your site and as you stated in the Environmental Impact Assessment we expect you to comply by distributing condoms to your employees,” she said.

A representative of Zhengtai Group, the main contractor, Mr Steven Liu said the company acknowledged the importance of the project to the Moshupa community hence would strive for quality and timeliness. 

He said with support from all stakeholders, the company expected to deliver within the set time frame. 

The project, Mr Liu said, would not only address health issues in the area but would create employment for residents. BOPA