Source: Council to cancel solar street lighting contracts | Sunday Mail (Local News)
Carren Mushonga
HARARE City Council (HCC) is set to cancel tenders awarded to companies to install solar-powered streets lights in both the Central Business District and residential areas.
The Sunday Mail has gathered that five companies won the bid to set up street lighting in 2016, but only one company – Prime Media Advertising has met its contractual obligations. However, there are concerns that most of the lights are not working.
It is understood that some of the contracted companies – MED Lighting, Sonic Ray, AXA Holdings and Satewave have failed to install the solar street lights, prompting HCC to cancel the deals.
Harare Mayor Cllr Hebert Gomba said the local authority had set in motion processes to sever ties with the companies.
“The cancellation of the agreement is already underway and the process may take up to two months to finalise,” he said.
“HCC is not happy as the programme is now of no value since the solar street lamps are not working, yet the companies are still getting advertising revenue as part of the deal.”
According to Cllr Gomba, the deal required the companies to deliver solar street lighting in exchange for advertising rights. The Mayor indicated that the project could be taken over by the local authority.
“There is no specific time as to when we will resume the programme, but as soon as we are done with cancellation of the existing agreement, we will have a clear picture on how we will be proceeding,” said Cllr Gomba.
“We will carry on with the project using our own engineers and also find ways to improve security on the lighting equipment. Thieves have been causing problems on the progress of this project.”
The solar-street lighting programme began three years ago as part of HCC’s quest to make Harare a world-class city by 2025.
At least 10 000 solar street lamps were set to be introduced in the Central Business District and surrounding areas under the programme.
However, there have been concerns that over 90 percent of the solar lights installed so far are non-functional.
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