Durban – KwaDukuza Municipality has announced the start of nine projects, which are worth R38 million in total, to reconstruct storm damaged infrastructure.
On Friday, KwaDukuza mayor Lindile Nhaca handed over the nine projects to contractors for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure which collapsed in April 2022 as a result of floods, the municipality said in a statement.
In July, the municipality was allocated grant funding to the value of R109m for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads, storm-water infrastructure and bridges that were damaged due to floods.
Nhaca warned contractors against shoddy work, with the municipality saying this will not be tolerated.
“Contractors who perform poorly on municipal projects will be taken to task.
“Shoddy workmanship and delays will become a thing of the past as we have taken a no-nonsense approach in dealing with contractors. The council will be dealing harshly with such tendencies as they amount to nothing but wasteful expenditure,” she said.
Nhaca urged the community to be agents of their projects by reporting theft at construction sites, acts of intimidation and shoddy workmanship.
“We don’t want a situation where these projects come to a point of deterioration within a period of three or twelve months – we strongly believe that such infrastructure projects are worth a lifespan of at least 25 years,” she said.
“We urge the community to safe-guard these projects and report acts of intimidation by those who constantly disrupt contractors on sites,” she said.
The municipality added that the project will also bring job opportunities and work for local subcontractors.