The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Municipal Reporter
WORK at the Egodini Bus Terminus in Bulawayo has stopped after the contractor, Terracotta Trading Private Limited demanded that the city council issue a letter of assurance that the initial contract will not be terminated.
Bulawayo City Council last month indicated that it could terminate the contract with the South African company after it failed to meet deadlines after indications pointed out that the company would miss a second deadline set for end of this month.
Terracotta initially missed the November 2019 deadline to have completed the first phase of the project with no indications that they would meet their then requested deadline of end of March 2020. According to a report tabled before council’s town lands and planning committee early this month, the South Africa-based company revealed that in January this year they had started the recruitment of bricklayers, who were meant to help start construction so as to complete what they have now termed phase 1A of the project.
Phase 1A of the project, according to the contractor, includes the construction of 1 100 informal traders’ stalls, a 100-bay taxi rank, security wall, security tower, motor retail, taxi associations offices, public ablutions and a service lane. Phase 1B includes the construction of the bus terminus building, fast food shops and the grocery anchor.
“In January 2020, the developer selected over 100 bricklayers from the job centre database to attend bricklaying tests on site. Eventually, a team of 40 bricklayers were selected and offered employment. However, the newspaper article emanating from the BCC Press briefing, together with subsequent engagements with BCC, have placed this work temporarily on hold. These works will commence once BCC issues a formal letter confirming that the project is not being cancelled on 31 March 2020,” reads the report.
The contractor has now indicated that after the local authority gives them assurance that the project will not be cancelled, Phase 1A can only be completed in five months while Phase 1B will be completed seven months after the restart.
In terms of milestone Terracotta claimed to date they had managed to employ more than 90 people from Bulawayo through direct employment inclusive of contact centre data captures, machine operators, general construction labourers, security, administration and management personnel.
However, according to the report, it has since been revealed that the developer was just early this month expected to submit plans for phase 1A of the project.
“In terms of earth works; 9 400 machine hours have been put in to create a platform, AC Hope the contractor’s land surveyors have surveyed and come up with a connection report and relevant drawings. Plans for section 1A are to be submitted by 6 March 2020. There is need to finalise design of the bus rank, buildings and have Phase 1A approved,” reads the report.
Contacted for comment, the city’s Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said he will only comment on the matter once it had been presented to full council next month.
However, speaking at a media briefing last month, Mr Dube revealed that it was highly likely that the developer was going to miss their extended March 2020 deadline to have completed the first phase as there was not much construction work taking place at the site. The project which experienced a number of false starts since Terracotta won the tender in September 2012, is expected to gobble close to $60 million, with the company also awarded a 99-year lease to the terminus.
