(Last Updated on November 20, 2015 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – China Machinery Engineering Corporation — the company contracted to rehabilitate Harare water and sewage system under a $144,4 million deal — is confident it will deliver the project on time and as laid down in the contract.
In an interview with The Herald on Tuesday, CMEC project executive director and senior advisor, Mr Cao Yang challenged anyone with doubts on work done so far and the capacity of the company to competently rehabilitate Morton Jaffrey and other water and sewage works in Harare, to visit the site.
The project that is bankrolled by the China Exim Bank covers the renovation of Morton Jaffrey, Crowborough, Firle sewage works, Warren Control, Letombo Pump Station, Alex and New Alex Pump Houses and Borrowdale Brooke Sewage Pump Station.
The State-owned Chinese company supplies the equipment and all the materials for the project including construction vehicles, workshop tools, ICT paraphernalia, tractors, boats, pumps, among other things.
“We have completed 90 percent of civil construction works. All the equipment has been manufactured and are either already on site at Morton Jaffrey or ready for shipment at China Port. From next month our work at Morton Jaffrey will be in full swing as we do the installation. The work at Morton Jaffrey is right on track,” said Mr Yang.
He was upbeat CMEC will deliver a quality project on time and refuted claims from some quarters within the municipality on the contrary.
On payments made so far to CMEC for work done, Mr Yang was reluctant to reveal the figures.
“So far we have spent and committed more than what we have received. I hope that money will reach us the earliest so that we can complete the rest of the work. We have a contract with the City of Harare and the City of Harare and the Ministry of Finance have a loan agreement to finance the project with China Exim Bank. So far we are happy with the project. I hope with collaboration from the city and with blessings from Government of Zimbabwe we will successfully complete the work as per our contract,” he said.
Mr Yang would not comment on allegations by Harare Mayor Mr Bernard Manyenyeni that he was not satisfied with the costs of work done so far.
“I come to Zimbabwe not to fight anyone but for work. I want to do something good for the city and for the people. I suggest anyone with doubts should visit the site and discuss with the implementation team. Once they do that they will understand what is going on there. Morton Jaffrey does not look bad now,” said Mr Yang,”
He added: “We are sure we can deliver to the city a very good project that guarantees water supply. I suggest that those with doubts must visit the old water plants and compare with Morton Jaffrey. We welcome them to visit our project.”
The city is understood to have paid CMEC $72 million by August this year.
Clr Manyenyeni was quoted saying: “We are almost halfway in terms of the draw-down, and we are attributing that amount of $69 million or $72 million to preliminary work which sounds a little too high. But let us have the full reconciliation between the two parties.”
But Mr Yang said it was important to appreciate the scope of the project before people make conclusions.
He said when they started working on Morton Jaffrey Water Works the plant was in a very bad state. “It is 50 years old and everything was broken down and it was much easier to build a new one than to repair. When we came, the equipment and buildings were all broken down. It was very bad. We did refurbishment work from roads, boundaries, guardrooms, control rooms, among other things. Some roofs were falling and the conditions there were very, very poor requiring a lot of refurbishments. We are demolishing, dismantling and then repairing and it is a lot of work,” said Mr Yang.
He said CMEC was also computerising the system at Morton Jaffrey by putting in place the Programme Logic Control (PLC).
He said the Morton Jaffrey project would be completed latest by September next year.
On the quality of equipment being installed there, he said the majority of it was coming from Europe — Germany and Finland.
The company was also contracted to supply medical equipment to Government hospitals.
Mr Yang said CMEC has delivered “for what we have received” and all major work has been done.
“We have completed 90 percent of civil construction works. All the equipment has been manufactured and are either already on site at Morton Jaffrey or ready for shipment at China Port. From next month our work at Morton Jaffrey will be in full swing as we do the installation. The work at Morton Jaffrey is right on track,” said Mr Yang.
He was upbeat CMEC will deliver a quality project on time and refuted claims from some quarters within the municipality on the contrary.
On payments made so far to CMEC for work done, Mr Yang was reluctant to reveal the figures.
“So far we have spent and committed more than what we have received. I hope that money will reach us the earliest so that we can complete the rest of the work. We have a contract with the City of Harare and the City of Harare and the Ministry of Finance have a loan agreement to finance the project with China Exim Bank. So far we are happy with the project. I hope with collaboration from the city and with blessings from Government of Zimbabwe we will successfully complete the work as per our contract,” he said.
Mr Yang would not comment on allegations by Harare Mayor Mr Bernard Manyenyeni that he was not satisfied with the costs of work done so far.
“I come to Zimbabwe not to fight anyone but for work. I want to do something good for the city and for the people. I suggest anyone with doubts should visit the site and discuss with the implementation team. Once they do that they will understand what is going on there. Morton Jaffrey does not look bad now,” said Mr Yang,”
He added: “We are sure we can deliver to the city a very good project that guarantees water supply. I suggest that those with doubts must visit the old water plants and compare with Morton Jaffrey. We welcome them to visit our project.”
The city is understood to have paid CMEC $72 million by August this year.
Clr Manyenyeni was quoted saying: “We are almost halfway in terms of the draw-down, and we are attributing that amount of $69 million or $72 million to preliminary work which sounds a little too high. But let us have the full reconciliation between the two parties.”
But Mr Yang said it was important to appreciate the scope of the project before people make conclusions.
He said when they started working on Morton Jaffrey Water Works the plant was in a very bad state. “It is 50 years old and everything was broken down and it was much easier to build a new one than to repair. When we came, the equipment and buildings were all broken down. It was very bad. We did refurbishment work from roads, boundaries, guardrooms, control rooms, among other things. Some roofs were falling and the conditions there were very, very poor requiring a lot of refurbishments. We are demolishing, dismantling and then repairing and it is a lot of work,” said Mr Yang.
He said CMEC was also computerising the system at Morton Jaffrey by putting in place the Programme Logic Control (PLC).
He said the Morton Jaffrey project would be completed latest by September next year.
On the quality of equipment being installed there, he said the majority of it was coming from Europe — Germany and Finland.
The company was also contracted to supply medical equipment to Government hospitals.
Mr Yang said CMEC has delivered “for what we have received” and all major work has been done.