by Ofentse Madzebatela MPL – DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Economic Development
Gauteng businesses in dire need of manufacturing facilities are being left in limbo since the third phase of the Bio Park located at the Innovation Hub in Tshwane is still not complete. This project was initiated on February 18, 2019, and was scheduled for completion on September 5, 2024. However, due to the contractor’s non-payment, the project has been suspended.
Failure by the department to complete this project on time and within budget is affecting job creation, as this innovation hub has, so far, created 389 jobs.
This information was revealed in a reply to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to the MEC for Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, regarding incomplete projects by the department in the province.
The project has also run over budget by R52,653,074.18.
According to MEC Maile, work on this project was suspended by the Professional Resource Team (PRT) on 4 July 2024, due to months of unpaid work and a lack of fee adjustment approvals. The contractor suspended work on August 8, 2024, citing a lack of progress and unresolved issues.
These issues could not be resolved because the PRT’s professional budget had already been spent. This indicates a lack of planning and monitoring of projects by the Gauteng Department of Economic Development.
The Innovation Hub provides entrepreneurs with facilities to produce and process their products. Furthermore, if this hub is fully operational, we could easily provide solutions on how to combat climate change, advance the manufacturing industry, and assist the agriculture sector through agro processing.
Despite consequence management being implemented against implicated officials involved in this project, the DA Gauteng demands to know why the project remains incomplete. We have conducted an oversight at the hub to ascertain the status of the project; it remains incomplete and depriving businesses and entrepreneurs’ access to this facility. We will also table follow-up questions to determine when the project will resume and what is hindering the project. A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would implement stringent measures to ensure that contractors appointed are indeed capable of completing projects on time and within budget. In addition, we will ensure that the PRT includes officials with necessary expertise to manage and track infrastructure projects, to avoid the projects running overtime and over budget. We will continue to put pressure on MEC Maile to ensure that this project is completed so that entrepreneurs can create employment opportunities for our struggling residents.