WHY MANY TOWNSHIP PROJECTS FAIL: A CASE OF THE POLOKWANE CLINIC

It is almost two years since ABC Contractors vacated a construction site meant for building a R$70-$million clinic in Makopane, Koloti, Polokwane. Residents have now turned the site into a dumping area. There is confusion about why the project stopped, according to ZoneIn. The Limpopo Department of Infrastructure Development $($LDID$)$ awarded Rapid Builders the tender on $30$ November $2016.$ What was supposed to have been an $11-$ month project came to a halt in September $2019$ as disputes among members of the project committee and business forums saw the contractor vacate the area. This is according to LDID spokesperson Bongiwe Gambu."The contractor voluntarily left the site citing the involvement of business forums on the project as an issue," Gambu said. When ZoneIn visited the site recently, residents had started using it as a dumping site. The fence that had barricaded the area was no longer there, but a construction site sign remained, indicating Rapid Builders as the contractor. Gambu said $15\%$ of the budgeted funds have been used. Early last year, Rapid Builders project manager Shane Govindasamy told ZoneIn they would not successfully complete the work due to constant interruptions by the community.

"The situation was out of control. The community didn't allow us to work. When we brought our own machinery on$-$site, they wanted to bring their own. They wouldn't allow us to work for three days straight. They would protest because they wanted a slice of the cake," he said at the time. It is common that so$-$called "business forums" try to get in on the action when new large developments are started. This makes it hard for legitimate companies, especially ones that do not wish to pay what they may see as bribes, to finish developments. Previously, we failed to locate the business forums in question but recently tracked down the project's Community Liaison Officer Isaac Komane, as well as Meyer Mtshweni, the New Eersterust business forum chairperson.

According to Komane, before work began, he received submissions from residents wishing to offer various services at the project. Those who dealt with construction machinery were welcome to outsource if they didn't have their own. But then it appears things became chaotic. "Different groups started coming up$,"$ he said. "I had lists of local businesses from the community that had submitted but people bringing machinery weren't on my list. The groups were against each other. One group would bring a machine. Another group would object and come with theirs, which caused conflict," said Komane. He said the contractors would often find themselves without equipment to perform their duties, which would halt the process for days and sometimes weeks.

"A site manager in $2019$ said he couldn't work that way. Because of constant disagreements, they sometimes worked... one day a week." Asked about the business forums in the community, Komane said "business forum" was just a name. Resident and street vendor Dinah Mafodi said most of the residents had no idea what was happening with the project and why it had stopped. $"$We saw construction vehicles stationed at the site and we were excited that finally another clinic was going to be built. This area grew larger and a new clinic would surely assist those that do not live near the current clinic," said Mafodi. Naledi Dube, also a resident, said: $"$We have never had any formal communication regarding the clinic. These are just rumours we heard. We also heard that the clinic was going to operate $24$ hours. That was going to be a relief because if a family member gets sick, then we wouldn't have to go far."