Bucks spent on loos get boos

GRAAFF-GEINET NEWS - The number of tenders awarded to the Gqeberha-based company, Platinum Construction in the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality's area, is of concern to Councillor Eldrige Ruiters.

The tenders to retrofit indigent household toilets with new waterwise systems are of particular concern to him.

While the retrofitting was considered critical to save water in the drought-stricken Dr Beyers Naudé towns, Ruiters is calling the enormous amount spent on the project into question.

'One big secret'
Seven tenders for retrofitting 7 260 indigent household toilets in Graaff-Reinet, Nieu-Bethesda, Aberdeen, Willowmore, Rietbron, Klipplaat and Jansenville, were advertised on the municipal website on 8 September last year.

According to the 2023/2024 Consolidated Annual Supply Chain Management Report, all of these tenders were awarded to Platinum Construction that received more than R25-million for these contracts.

At this stage the total number of toilets that were retrofitted and the cost per unit is unknown, since, according to Ruiters, this particular project is "one big secret".

However, the municipality's analysis report on their Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan for 2023/2024 states that R11 041 412 was spent on retrofitting 556 indigent household toilets.

This amounts to a whopping R19 858 per unit. Despite numerous queries to the municipality to establish the location of the completed toilets and the scope of the watersaving job to justify the unit cost, no answers were received.

A 2017 report by JG Afrika published by Greencape.co.za, states that a toilet can be retrofitted with a DIY water saving device to use 50% less water for as little as R50 per toilet. Replacing the entire cistern with a dual flush system, would have come to roughly R1 500 at the time - branded by JG Afrika as "costly".

Other tenders
It has been established that Platinum Construction was also involved in the tender for the replacement of the lower sluice valve servicing the pump station at the Nqweba Dam in 2022 as well as the tender to upgrade and pave Luxolo Road in Thembalesizwe in Aberdeen that is currently underway.

In addition to these tenders, Platinum Construction has also been awarded four other municipal tenders during the 2023/24 financial year. Payments under these contracts amounted to more than R22-million.

The Graaff-Reinet Advertiser was unable to verify the registration details of Platinum Construction as the only Platinum Construction on BizPortal is a KwaZulu-Natal based company that was deregistered on 31 March 2023 due to annual tax return non-compliance.

However, a company trading under the same name in Gqeberha was located on Facebook.

Denies involvement
The contact person of this company, whose identity is known to the Advertiser, telephonically denied his involvement with the company and these tenders.

A subsequent written request for a response to questions relating to their registration details, the retrofitting of the indigent household toilet project and the paving of Luxolo Road remain unanswered.

At the time of going to press the municipality had also not responded to questions.

Councillor Eldrige Ruiters of Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality is concerned about the huge amounts spent on waterwise toilets that can not be located.