The Department of Roads has recommended the cancellation of a US$3,9 million road works tender awarded to Justice Mayor Wadyajena owned Mayor Contracting (Pvy) Ltd following the company’s shoddy job in rehabilitating the Golden Valley Sanyati Road.
Department of Roads’ project engineers noted Mayor Contracting had failed to execute works on time, despite constant reminders.
Progress achieved a month after the date of scheduled completion of the works – was far below expected standards, project engineers said.
Mayor Contracting argued they had failed to execute works on time due to Covid-19 constrains which affected their workforce, however, project engineers felt the excuse was not sufficient.
The rehabilitation of 84 kilometres of Golden Valley Sanyati Road had been scheduled to end on December 14 but an inspection carried out by the Department of Roads’ project engineer on Friday November 12 2021, showed lack of progress.
Mashonaland West Roads Engineer S Gomo immediately noted the contractor was inadequately resourced in terms of appropriate plant and competent technical personnel on site.
On 12 November 2021, Gomo wrote to Mayor Contracting urging the company to show how it intended to recover “lost time and bring back the project on schedule for completion by the contractual date of 14 December 2021.”
In December, the Project contractor issued Mayor Contracting a letter of intent to terminate contract on January 3 noting slow progress.
On January 6, Mayor Contracting requested for an extension of not more than 35 working days, acknowledging failure to finish all the works in December citing Covid-19 complications.
“In the latter days of November 2021 most of our working personnel were affected by the prevailing coronavirus and we had several positive cases therefore all who had been in contact had to go into self-quarantine in their respective homes,” wrote P Wadyajena, Mayor Contracting projects manager.
He requested to resume works on January 10.
However, on January 17, Mashonaland West roads engineer S Gomo certified that it was the opinion of the project engineer that Mayor Contracting is unable to execute the works in accordance to the approved programme of works.
“The project engineer has studied and reached a conclusion that the contractor is unable to execute the works. Furthermore the contractor has not yet furnished the client with requisite performance bones and insurances required for contract signing. We recommend the employer proceed with contract determination,” Gomo wrote to the secretary of Transport and Infrastructure Development.
The Golden Valley Sanyati Road was originally a narrow mat with few sections of wide mat that has outlived its design life couple with inadequate routine and periodic maintenance.
The road has severely damaged sections characterised by heavy potholes, edge breaks and edge drops, rendering passing of two vehicles difficult.
