The contractor responsible for phase 3 of the Waterval stadium denied that he is the cause of the delay in completing the stadium. He responded to last week's article in Limpopo Mirror, where the Makhado Municipality's spokesperson is quoted as saying that the stadium is nearing completion.
The empty promises about when the stadium will be ready to be utilised have caused anger among the local community as well as the soccer clubs hoping to use the facilities. The multi-million rand projected started more than five years ago. The tender for phase 3, the final stage of the project, was R28,4 million. The stadium was supposed to be finished more than a year ago.
A visit to the stadium showed that no construction had been done for some time as the untended soccer field was overgrown with long grass. Two security guards are on duty who said that they had instructions not to allow any person from the media to enter the facility or take photos of the unfinished stadium.
Two weeks ago, the Makhado Municipality's spokesperson, Louis Bobodi, said that the smooth flow of the construction was hampered and delayed by, among others, the installation of a power transformer. "We are currently on course towards the realisation of the project as we are about to finalise securing quotations to complete the surfacing of running tracks and grassing," said Bobodi.
What Bobodi seemingly omitted, was that the delay in the project has been caused by unfinished work by the contractors responsible for previous phases of the project.
During an interview earlier this week with Dr Crosby Mulungwa, the owner/manager of Valcross Trading Enterprise, he said that his company had not caused the delay. Valcross was appointed to complete phase 3 of the project. "I have completed the scope of my work, but the contractor of phase 2 did not complete his job. Hence, he was supposed to come back and finalise what is left," he said.
Mulungwa said that he had handed over the completion certificate to the Makhado Municipality on 28 June this year. "The Makhado Municipality is still owing me my last payment and the remaining job is for the contractor of phase 2," he said. He added that his scope of work entailed the construction of a 2 000-seat precast pavilion, gabions and buttresses, an ablution block with changing rooms, and the construction of a guardhouse.
"My scope of work also includes the installation of electricity and [connecting] the transformer from Eskom that delayed us, as well as water reticulation to the ablution, the installation of floodlights, and the paving of the entire area," he said.
Detailed questions were sent to the municipality's spokesperson, Louis Bobodi. He was asked who the contractor for phase 2 of the project was and what work still needed to be done by this contractor. Bobodi was also asked whether the municipality still owed Valcross Trading Enterprise any money and, if so, when this phase of the project would be finalised. In spite of follow-up messages asking Bobodi to please respond, he did not do so by Wednesday.