LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Listed construction concern Masimba Holdings has taken over the construction of Fidelity Life Assurance’s Southview off-site water infrastructure after the original contract Tensor allegedly failed to deliver water within the promised time frames.
Fidelity which expected the project to cost around $10 million realised that given the slothfulness of Tensor, health hazards and mounting pressure from residents the December target for water on site was not going to be met.
Roping in construction giant Masimba is expected to change the game for thirsty Southview Park residents.
Fidelity Life Assurance general manager marketing Melanie Gumbo told Business Times that the company was doing whatever it takes to ensure residents have clean water by December.
“We have appointed Masimba Construction to complete the outstanding SV off-site water works. The contractor commenced on October 1, 2018 and barring the unforeseen, works should be completed in the near future.
“We had to look for other contractors after the previous contractor failed to complete within the agreed time frame.
“Therefore, the works were awarded through a competitive tendering process where a total of four reputable contractors took part. All possible value engineering possibilities were considered to ensure value for money,” said Gumbo.
The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed concern has been up in arms with its residents who felt the company had failed to its obligation by providing water to the project.
Fidelity Life has completed all its on-site works and now moves to complete off-site works with around $5 milion already used.
Foreign currency availability remains an impediment for the completion of the 9km 450mm water pipes, steel, water pumps and other equipment needs to be imported.
Gumbo said the major challenge facing all private players like Fidelity Life in housing development is that while the responsibility of installing off-site infrastructure is placed under the local authorities as per the provisions of the Urban Councils Act, they do not have money to do so at the moment.
However, due to the many challenges facing this economy the City of Harare has passed this heavy burden to private developers and thus it is struggling.
