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mec slams poor workmanship

INSPECTION IN LOCO: Mpumalanga MEC for public works Madala Masuku, left, with managers from his department during a visit to a construction site yesterday. Pic. Alfred Moselakgomo. 03/07/08. © Sowetan.\n
INSPECTION IN LOCO: Mpumalanga MEC for public works Madala Masuku, left, with managers from his department during a visit to a construction site yesterday. Pic. Alfred Moselakgomo. 03/07/08. © Sowetan.\n

Alfred Moselakgomo

Alfred Moselakgomo

Mpumalanga MEC for public works Madala Masuku and managers of his department yesterday visited construction sites in the province to validate the quality of work done.

Visits to the new Middelburg pharmaceutical depot and Mpumalanga Regional Training Trust in Witbank were to give Masuku and his managers time to listen to the challenges that contractors face.

Masuku said these visits were an eye-opener as they allowed his department to have a broad understanding of the challenges facing aspiring entrepreneurs in the province.

"They also painted a clear picture between consultants who are dedicated to assisting government in delivering first world quality infrastructure and those who connive with contractors to defraud government," said Masuku.

He said the biggest challenge that inhibited the delivery of infrastructure was poor workmanship. Masuku also blamed the slow progress on infrastructural projects on inadequate supervision and monitoring.

"Because of this, the majority of outstanding projects were not completed. We have dramatically improved our capacity to monitor the quality of our projects by employing qualified project coordinators who are assigned to specific consultants and contractors," said Masuku.

The MEC said other weaknesses identified include the administrative processing chain, lack of innovation and absence of a sense of urgency.

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