WELKOM – Immediate payment of outstanding invoices of roughly R38 million to the company contracted to complete the Phomolong project has become a matter of top priority, with these payments essential to ensure that the contractor returns to site to complete the work.
Maxie Badenhorst, DA Councillor for Matjhabeng Municipality, says urgent payment is needed to resume the Phomolong project and end the ongoing service delivery crisis. Badenhorst has written to the Free State Department of Human Settlements and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to secure immediate settlement of outstanding invoices and ensure the contractor returns to complete the project.
“The residents of Phomolong Extension 5 and 6 in Ward 3 are once again paying the price for government incompetence, poor financial management, and the failure of authorities to honour contractual obligations, resulting in flooding, unsafe living conditions, and disrupted access to essential services,” she said.
ALSO READ: Police station the root of Phomolong’s anger(Opens in a new browser tab)
The Water, Sewer Reticulation, Stormwater and Road Infrastructure Project, funded by the Free State Department of Human Settlements and implemented by GIC, commenced in July 2024 and was intended to bring long-awaited services and dignity to residents. “Instead, the project has become a painful example of how government mismanagement can turn a service delivery project into a humanitarian crisis,” Badenhorst noted.
In February 2025, the initial contractor, Liber Civils, was forced to terminate its contract due to non-payment. The project came to an abrupt halt, leaving roads excavated, stormwater systems incomplete, and residents exposed to severe flooding. Floodwater entered homes, roads became impassable, and emergency services and water-delivery vehicles were unable to reach residents, leaving vulnerable households to deal with flooded homes and damaged belongings.
After months of delay, a new contractor, Civtec, was appointed in September 2025, and significant progress was made. The project is currently approximately 65% complete, with several residents already benefiting from improved infrastructure.
However, the government has once again failed to honour its commitments. On 3 March, Civtec was forced to abandon the site due to non-payment on three projects totalling approximately R60 million, including roughly R38 million for the Phomolong project.
Following recent flooding, an oversight visit confirmed that incomplete infrastructure remains a risk to residents. In some areas, roads direct stormwater onto properties, whilst a stormwater channel behind Extension 5 remains partially blocked. Although cleaning began on 7 March, the work was abandoned before completion.
Civtec has indicated that it is willing to return if outstanding payments are settled, with completion possible by July. However, the government’s failure to pay has already incurred additional, unnecessary costs, including the transport of heavy machinery, which could exceed R240 000.
This represents fruitless and wasteful expenditure caused by the government’s failure to meet its contractual obligations. If a new contractor is appointed, delays of at least six months and further costs will follow, once again forcing taxpayers to pay for poor governance.
Badenhorst has requested urgent intervention to ensure outstanding payments are settled so the contractor can return to complete the project. “The government cannot continue to treat poor communities as an afterthought. The residents of Ward 3 deserve dignity, functioning infrastructure and a government that respects their rights and public funds.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.