Construction resumes on Polokwane Softball Stadium

Tags

---

28-10-2024
Read : 21 times
Polokwane Review Observer
Source

The Polokwane Municipality confirmed that they remain on track to complete the project by February next year.

POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Municipality announced on Monday that construction of the city’s softball stadium has resumed after a prolonged halt.

The work initially aimed to restart in August following the appointment of Brunel Engineering as the new contractor in July to complete the partially finished structure in the city’s sports precinct.

The resumption was, however, delayed by a month due to an outstanding construction permit from the Department of Labour, pushing the start date to September.

Mantlako Sebaka, the manager of sport and recreation, confirmed that they remain on track to complete the project by February next year.

In July, Sebaka outlined the remaining tasks, which include finalising concrete work, mechanical and electrical installations, and roofing the facility.

The original contractor ceased operations in September 2022, requesting additional money due to cost escalations resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

They were appointed in September 2020, at which point R51m of the initial budget had already been spent. Construction was also halted in January, leaving 80 workers idle who were set to report for duty in June of the previous year. Additionally, the site has faced challenges such as vandalism, permit suspensions, and heavy rainfall from November 2021 to March 2022, all contributing to significant delays.

You might also want to read: Council to give more funds for Polokwane’s softball stadium

The Polokwane Municipality has requested R184m in phased funding from council, supplementing the initial R90m budget.

This new budget marks a considerable increase from the R4m proposed in a draft budget to local stakeholders in May for the 2024/25 financial year. The DA has requested budget cuts to address other community needs, saying that while 84% of the contracted amount has been paid, only 43% of the project has been completed.

In November, the DA’s local caucus leader, Jacques Joubert, reiterated the necessity for additional funds to meet the project’s scope requirements. With Brunel Engineering now on board, the municipality is set to move forward towards completing the softball stadium project.