HARARE – Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona says government shall withhold payment from construction companies that do shoddy work after being awarded contracts to perform some repairs on the country’s damaged roads.
Mhona was responding to questions from MPs during the ministers’ question time in parliament this past week.
“Yes, it is very true that the Second Republic is very different from the former, that people would do shoddy jobs and were paid but this time, if people do not do standard work, we pay only after we are satisfied that the job has been done.
“Do not be troubled if you find places where the road has not been constructed well. Section 298 talks about transparency and accountability.
“We go back to the people of Zimbabwe so that the money that they pump out does a good job. We blacklist for bad workmanship and if you are blacklisted, it means you will not get any contracts again.”
Mhona added, “If you do a bad job, we ask you to do it again until we are satisfied and that is only when you get paid.
“We are working with the Committee on Transport and most of the time they are doing follow-ups and they update this House on the work being done.”
Potholes have emerged on some of the country’s roads not too long after some repair works by companies contracted to perform the task, raising questions on whether the government has time to do the necessary due diligence on firms contracted to do some works.
The Zanu PF led government is under fire for awarding tenders to friends and family members of top government officials who do not have the means to perform some major works for which huge sums of tax payers’ money would have been disbursed.
