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A consultant in Mpumalanga who scored a contract worth about R300 million has left an emerging contractor high and dry after failing to pay him R1.5 million for work done on building a R5.2 million reservoir.
The consultant, Bernard Marsher, who owns civil and structural engineering company Fastrack (FT) Consultants, has given contractor Majaha Mthombeni of MJ Construction the runaround since 2015 after the two megalitre reservoir in Vlakbult (KaMdladla) was completed.
The Nkomazi Local Municipality in Malalane has confirmed that it paid all money due to Marsher’s company and he was expected to have paid the contractor.
A source within the municipality said there had been a few complaints by small contractors against Marsher for failing to pay contractors.
“There have been complaints forwarded to the municipality about non-payment,” the source said.
According to the source, most companies entered underhand deals with politicians in order to get contracts and they ended up unable to meet their obligations to contractors.
“I cannot say this is what happened in this case, but small contractors suffer because of this and this goes against government’s intention to create jobs and develop emerging contractors,” he said.
Nkomazi Local Municipality spokesperson, Cyril Ripinga, said: “I have checked with the relevant department and can confirm that FT Consultants was paid the full amount for the project. Whether he paid the contractor or not, we cannot tell.”
Mthombeni said he had been begging Marsher for the past three years to pay him but was met with empty promises.
Mthobeni said Marsher paid him about R150 000 in 2016 when he threatened to take legal action and approach the media, and that was the last amount he ever paid.
“I struggle a lot. I’ve been threatened with eviction, I owe school fees and I’m behind in my car installments. Marsher is living large and has been buying luxury cars,” the contractor said.
Mthombeni said Marsher was no longer taking his calls and returning his messages.
“My company did and completed the work, but I had to make some means to pay some of my workers when they demanded their wages. Up to now, I have not finished paying them and they are threatening legal action against me because they don’t believe that a big company like FT Consultants has refused to pay me and there is no reason for that,” he said.
Marsher said that he was trying his best to pay Mthombeni but he had struggled to get payment from most government departments where he has contracts.
Last week Marsher said he would meet the Nkomazi municipality about the payment for the reservoir, but has since avoided City Press’ calls.
According to FT Consultants website, the 15-year-old company currently has contracts worth R288 million with the departments of human settlements, public works, co-operative governance and traditional affairs, environmental affairs, and the Thaba Chweu and Nkomazi municipalities.
Marsher denied that he had entered any underhand deals with politicians in Nkomazi.
“Something happened there but I cannot say what it is,” he said.
