KwaMsane’s ‘white elephant’
KwaMsane taxi rank standing vacant for two years also appears to be structurally unstable.
A TAXI rank in KwaMsane, completed in 2012, has never been used and appears not to be structurally sound, having collapsed within six months of completion.
The intended taxi rank opposite the sports complex was commissioned in 2009, completed and handed to the community in September 2012. It had collapsed by March 2013.
The structure appears to have failed where anchor bolts, which hold the cantilever structure in place, have sheared. Moreover, half the aluminium sheeting roof has been stripped as the structure lies derelict.
Core tests appear to have been done, by drilling holes in the concrete. These are conducted to test the strength of a structure’s concrete base. However, according to an expert in the construction industry, no such tests should have been required, as it is obvious the bolts sheared and the failure of the structure had nothing to do with the strength of its concrete base.
In a recent statement from the South African Communist Party (SACP), regarding Mtubatuba Municipality’s financial woes and attempted reform, the party’s spokesperson referred to the taxi rank as a ‘white elephant’. The structure was reportedly constructed despite disapproval from its intended beneficiaries, namely the Mtubatuba Taxi Association.
Bamba Ndwandwe, Mtubatuba Municipal Administrator, confirmed he is aware of the situation and is taking action against those responsible. Municipal staff involved in the commissioning of the structure, as well as the contractor and consultant manager are the subject of the investigation.
