By KWANELE DHLADHLA | 2021-01-13

The Nhlangano Town Council has presented a business opportunity to forge a Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the upgrading of the Southern Country Club and Nhlangano Golf Course. In the Request for Proposal (RFP), municipality explained that they intend to establish a non-exclusive design finance build operate maintain and transfer (DFBOM) for a 10 year period with a firm or tenderer that could provide consultancy, construction and financial services to the different construction phases which include site assessment, finance, design, develop construction documents, quality assurance, construction and project management as described in the Scope of Works. It was pointed out that procurement would be made through advertising in accordance with the terms and conditions of any PPP legislations and regulations. The list of services outlined in the scope of works project the types of services required for the proposed duration of the DFBOM. It was stated that prices and shares offered by bidders, would constitute maximum ceiling prices and would escalate accordingly yearly from the commencement of the DFBOM. Unpacking the contract type, the municipality said the contract would be awarded on a long-term arrangement (LTA) for a 10-year period with the selected qualified firms through an open bidding process. “The Nhlangano Town Council will engage with the most favourable bidder,” read the RFP in part. The description of services which explicitly provides a general scope of the work required included technical site assessment which entails evaluating the characteristics of site and submit a report including recommendations for design and implementation. The tenderer will also be expected to provide an assessment of existing infrastructure to maintain its original use; already constructed, renovated roads and buildings or structures assessment. It was also mentioned that bidders would be expected to prepare all construction documents required for each project, including layout, structural drawings, service drawings, hydraulic design of culverts, construction specifications, bills of quantity and engineering estimates. In terms of permits, it was explained that interested firms would be expected to obtain necessary permits and declaration for each construction work such as commercial borrow pit’s permit, construction permit, environmental permit, including necessary design/drawings and documentation for service declaration to the municipality). Other expectations from bidders include day-to-day site supervision by qualified construction or civil engineer and certify quality of workmanship and materials, ensure compliance of works with drawings, specifications and quality standards, as well as with approved timeframe and budget. Construction The companies will further be required to approve construction workmanship and materials, ensure material samples are checked, approved and receive necessary factory/mills certificates, certify effective progress of works including defect list, issue certificates of partial, substantial and final completions after six months of defect liability period. The winning tenderer will also advise the municipality on any potential risks in respect of the project timeline, project budget and quality of the works and assist for relevant documentations for declaration and as well as to comply with Eswatini construction regulations while ensuring safety and security of workforce and work site over the period of construction. Providing a background to the project, it was explained that Nhlangano is the fastest growing town in the Shiselweni region and the municipality is constantly engaged in a variety of construction and rehabilitation works, including roads, street lighting and building infrastructure. It was pointed out that it was becoming increasingly clear that the municipality could not meet the continually growing demand for services by acting alone, and that there is a need to look for support from other sectors of society. Therefore, it was resolved that the PPP was one of the most promising forms of such collaboration. This was based on the recognition that both the public and private sectors can benefit by pooling their financial resources, know-how and expertise to improve the delivery of basic services to all citizens. “In addition, PPPs offer an alternative to full privatisation by combining the advantages of both sectors; that is; they combine the social responsibility, environmental awareness and public accountability of the public sector; with the finance, technology, managerial efficiency and entrepreneurial spirit of the private sector,” it was added. In this RFP, PPP was used to describe a spectrum of possible relationships between the government (the public sector) and other organisations that are not government (the private sector) to carry out a project or provide a service. The deadline for submissions will be April 12.

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