- Farmers in Vulindlela, Howick, are frustrated by stalled road repairs as contractors face delayed payments and project managers consider resigning.
- Department officials deny causing delays, citing payment issues with contractor paperwork, while provincial debt hampers service provider payments.
Farmers in Vulindlela in Howick, KZN were promised two years ago that their rural roads would be repaired and maintained.
Instead, as work on the roads slows to a crawl, project managers are planning to resign and at least one contractor has given up.
The project, which is run by the Department of Transport and Human Settlements in KZN, is meant to fix all the rural roads in Howick, including potholes and gravel roads.
Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they fear victimisation, accused the Department of Transport’s Vulindlela area office of dragging their feet with invoices from contractors since July this year.
They claim that project managers are frustrated and some have decided to resign due to the management style of area manager Mthokozisi Biyela.
“Biyela is responsible for the Vulindlela projects. He has frustrated many people including contractors and project managers. About four project managers have decided to resign.
“One of the six contractors that are working there is planning to quit because Biyela doesn’t want to sign the invoices. You will have to bow to him for the invoices to be signed,” a source said.
Biyela told Scrolla.Africa that the allegations are not true because the project managers who have resigned either did so because their contracts ended or they found greener pastures somewhere else.
“Some of the contractors might face delayed payments due to the fact that their paperwork doesn’t meet all the requirements of the finance department. Other than that we pay all contractors on time. I never frustrated anyone,” said Biyela.
The complaints come as the KZN government is struggling to pay R10-billion owed by provincial government to service providers.
Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma’s spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya promised to provide Scrolla.Africa with a thorough response on the progress of maintaining rural roads,
When he was reminded later he said he couldn’t respond before the deadline.
Pictured above: The Department of Transport manager at the Vulindlela area office in Howick is accused of frustrating contractors aworking on the rural road maintenance project.
Source: Supplied
