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Road Maintenance Contracts Dispute: Department Welcomes Favorable Decision
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport recently celebrated a significant ruling in the dispute over road maintenance contracts. The debate is between the department’s Routine Road Maintenance (RRM) and several contractors. The adjudicator, Advocate FJ Nalane-SC, dismissed the claims of 69 contractors who alleged a breach of contract by the RRM. According to SANews, the claimants sought payment for damages with interest totalling approximately R400 million for contracted projects under the Roads Infrastructure Strategic Framework for South Africa (RISFSA). These routine road maintenance contracts are tendered projects that focus on facilitating active participation by small and emerging contractors.
Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela welcomed the judgment, emphasising that it allows the department to focus on delivering world-class road infrastructure to boost economic participation and growth, inclusivity, and improve people’s lives in Gauteng.
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The claimants had brought the matter for adjudication against the department, the Accounting Officer (HoD), and the MEC. They based their claims on various material terms and conditions of the contract, including the performance of routine road maintenance in designated areas and routes within the province. However, the adjudicator dismissed the claims on procedural grounds, as some claimants had not referred their claims promptly or at all, and some had sought adjudication from a non-appointed adjudicator, among other reasons.
This ruling clarifies the department and removes the uncertainty surrounding the legal challenge, enabling them to move forward with their mandate of enhancing the road infrastructure in Gauteng and supporting economic development and prosperity in the region.
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Picture: Twitter / RAF_SA
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