THE Free State provincial government has declared a hardline stance against contractors who abandon public projects without completing them, with Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae announcing plans to blacklist all non-performing companies from doing future business with the state.
The Premier’s warning follows a high-level meeting on Tuesday involving herself, MEC for Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements Saki Mokoena, Matjhabeng Executive Mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha and representatives of the Vaal Central Water Board.
The meeting sought urgent solutions to the persistent water and sanitation challenges plaguing the Matjhabeng Local Municipality, particularly in Welkom and surrounding towns.
According to the provincial government, the Vaal Central Water Board has already appointed several companies to rehabilitate and repair sewer plants and wastewater networks in the area.
However, the Premier expressed deep frustration with what she described as a pattern of contractors pocketing public funds, abandoning projects midway and resurfacing elsewhere under new tenders.
“People come to the Free State, use fake addresses and are appointed to handle big contracts. Along the way, they abandon the projects only to reappear elsewhere,” Letsoha-Mathae said.
“That says to me there is collusion between government officials and these contractors.
“Ideally, when people fail to complete projects, they really should not be appointed to other projects.”
The Premier said her administration would not tolerate such practices any longer, confirming that a blacklist of non-performing companies would be established to ensure that repeat offenders are excluded from future government work.
While the constitution allows for companies to operate anywhere in South Africa, Letsoha-Mathae questioned the motives of contractors from outside the province who “make money and leave without contributing to local development”.
“The question we must ask ourselves is: what are they ploughing back to our communities?” she said.
“People make a lot of money in our province and leave us dry, and that cannot be allowed.
“Our economy is not going to grow if we continue this way.
“We are going to insist that 80 percent of business people working on government projects are from the Free State province.”
MEC Mokoena echoed the Premier’s sentiments, saying some contractors misrepresent their capabilities to win tenders, only to fail in project execution.
“They always say they are competent and professional, but once appointed, they start making excuses. That is not going to be allowed,” Mokoena warned.
The provincial government said regular progress review meetings would be held between the Premier’s Office, the COGTA and Human Settlements Department, the Matjhabeng Local Municipality and the Vaal Central Water Board to closely monitor implementation and ensure accountability.
The Premier’s directive comes amid growing public anger over incomplete infrastructure projects, including sewerage upgrades and water reticulation systems, which have left several communities in Matjhabeng and other parts of the province grappling with poor service delivery and environmental hazards. – Staff Reporter