Big break for local subcontractors

By Emily Setona

QWAQWA – A group of aspirant local businessmen and women in construction, gathered at the Phuthaditjhaba stadium for a briefing with the main contractor awarded the contract to fix about seven primary roads in Maluti-a-Phofung (MAP).

Those gathered at the briefing held on April 17 were happy with the explanation and outcomes of this meeting because it is a project that promises to empower a lot of people in the community of MAP.
According to Tumelo Marumo from Matsikeng, Mphatlalatsana and Clubview (MMC) Business Forum, this briefing was very successful and the local construction companies were told what the necessary requirements are to qualify for this tender.

“The only thing needed is the CK of the company and the CSD; we will be required to submit the tender documents for this bid by next week Wednesday, then those who qualify will be contacted by the main contractor. I am very hopeful about this process,” Marumo told The Guard.

“As one of the local contractors here I am very hopeful, and we want to see this project take off and our community’s roads fixed,” Tshepang Maloleka a local businessman in construction said.
London Mokoena shared the same sentiments as Maloleka when he said: “I am grateful to see that most of the contractors gathered here are local businesspeople that I know, and I believe that this project is going to benefit the community. Even the efforts of the MEC giving people work, I really want to see us all working together to make sure that this project is a success.”

According to Phomolo Makappa the Chief Engineer from the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport who is working closely with the main contractor Diphatse Trading and Projects, the briefing was primarily focused on telling the potential subcontractors how the procurement of local contractors will unfold.

“The process will happen in two stages; the first stage will be a compliance stage where we do our compliance check to make sure that the subcontractors are from Qwaqwa, and we will check their addresses and their CSD and proof of residence from the municipality. The second stage will be where we give them the pricing document, where they will compete,” Makappa said.

In terms of progress of the project, the road in Lusaka is already being worked on. The main contractor was still waiting for the labour lists which were done by the office of the MEC Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae last week.