Question NW225 to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
18 May 2020 - NW225
Mokgotho, Ms SM to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
(1)What (a) is the name of the contractor who was appointed to construct Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses in Ward 5 in the Mamusa Local Municipality in North West and (b) amount was paid to the contractor; (2) whether any RDP houses were left incomplete; if so, (a) why and (b) what number were left incomplete?
Reply:
(1) (a) According to information received from the North West Provincial Department of Local Government and Human Settlements, the contractor was appointed in 2015 to build 65 Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses in Ward 5 in the Mamusa Local Municipality.
With regards to the name of the contractor, the Honourable Member should be aware by now that according to established practise applicable to parliamentary questions and guidelines contained in the document titled, “Guide to Parliamentary Questions in the National Assembly”, Members of Parliament, including the Executive, are prohibited from divulging names of persons, bodies when asking or responding to parliamentary questions. The guide referred to specifically states the following:
“Questions are to be framed as concisely as possible. All unnecessary adjectives, references and quotations are omitted. Names of persons, bodies and, for example, newspapers are only used in questions if the facts surrounding the case have been proven. As the mere mention of such names could be construed as publicity for or against them, it should be clear that this practice is highly undesirable. If a question will be unintelligible without mentioning such names, the Departments concerned are notified of the name (-s) and this phrase is used: ".......a certain person (name furnished)”.
(b) The Contractor was paid an amount of R3 295 000.00 which was for the construction of 46 foundations, 46 wall plates and 15 completed BNG houses.
(2) Some houses were left incomplete by the contractor. Despite interventions and support measures by the Provincial Department, the contractor experienced capacity challenges and subsequently vacated the site.
(b) The number of BNG houses that must still be completed in the project is fifty (50). The Provincial Department has since appointed another contractor to finalise the completion of the remaining houses.
(c) The Provincial Department has been advised to pursue the required legal consequence management against the defaulting contractor.