Another dodgy multimillion-rand project has been identified in the Eastern Cape. Contractors have allegedly been paid R18.9m of the R27m budget for a shoddy sport centre that has been under construction since 2018.

Construction of the Matatiele Sport Centre in the Matatiele Local Municipality's Harry Gwala township began in October 2018, and was earmarked for completion in October 2019.

But the completion date has been changed five times already, reports News24.

Mayor Momelezi Mbedla attributed the delay to the delivery of a R2.5m artificial turf for the football pitch, which was purchased in China.

Mbedla said the new date for completion of the stadium was 31 December.

Municipal manager Lizo Matiwane said they had not yet built change rooms, ablution facilities, a combi court, grandstands, a guardhouse, and flood lights.

There was also no electricity and water infrastructure.

Mbedla said the municipality first appointed Umpisi Consulting Engineering for an amount of R 4.1m to do planning and feasibility work for the project. He added that the municipality then hired the main contractor Sivivane Construction at an amount of R20.6m to build the facility.

Mbedla confirmed that phase one of the facility was not complete.

The dodgy project has now triggered an investigation from the office of AG Tsakani Maluleke.

Mbedle said the AG’s office would ‘be bringing their own engineers to scrutinise the whole project, including the payments thus far.’

DA councillor Wonga Potwana, who sits on an oversight committee on infrastructure, said he would be writing to Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to investigate.

Potwana said questions were raised because the committee picked up too many discrepancies regarding the project's budget and expenditure.

Full News24 report