Bulawayo City Council threatens to cancel multi-million dollar contract

TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO 

Councillors for the City of Bulawayo are pushing for the contentious Egodini Mall contract to be cancelled due to concerns that the contractor won’t be able to finish the job,it has been learnt.

The project is being undertaken by  Terracotta , which was contracted by Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in 2016 to redesign Basch Street terminus and turn it into a multi-purpose mall under a build, operate and transfer arrangement.

Terracotta began construction works in 2018, and was supposed to complete the first phase in 2019.

But, this did not happen.

Speaking during a full council meeting councilors expressed concern.

“Egodini progress is really disappointing,” Ward 17 Councillor, Sikhululekile Moyo said.

She added: “Our CBD is a mess because of that project. There is nothing showing that (it will be completed) anytime soon. We have a huge problem. Transporters and informal traders are in a crisis because of that project.”

Ward 6 Councillor Edwin Ndlovu  weighed in saying: “The issue of Egodini really needs attention. In the morning, there is a lot of chaos because of kombi drivers who use undesignated areas for pickup and drop-offs. We struggle to take our kids to school and to get to work.

“If the contracted people are struggling to finish up can they not just be let go and we finish on our own as the council?

Clearly, they are not finishing anytime soon and the city is full of congestion, “he said.

Ward 9 Cllr Donaldson Mabuto said the contractors need to be engaged first as there are legal implications.

The company projected a total investment of US$60 million for the project

Earlier this year, BCC promised residents that in February informal traders and bus operators were going to move to the mall.

However, this did not take place.

But, the city of Bulawayo mayor, Solomon Mguni, said residents should not mix issues.

He said the city has been congested along 6th Avenue.

“It seems like we are now mixing issues. Egodini project is one issue and lawlessness at 6th Avenue is a separate issue. Even when Egodini was functional we were having challenges at 6th Avenue.

They (illegal vendors, pushcart operators and illegal commuter omnibus operators) kept on operating from there. There is a need to talk about city by-laws, then there is the issue of progress or lack of it at Egodini,” he said.

Ward 1 councilor, Mlandu Ncube said:“Before the project started, there were extensive consultation meetings discussing how transporters and informal traders would operate. They were allocated specific places, now that the law is not being followed and people are blaming the project.”

The council blames the presence of illegal vendors for the dirt in the city but with no alternative vending bays.

The council seems to be losing the battle to the vendors.