Makana municipality has revealed that Hedraweb, the company responsible for the running of the parking system in Grahamstown, has no meter machines to carry on with the job.
Makana municipality has revealed that Hedraweb, the company responsible for the running of the parking system in Grahamstown, has no meter machines to carry on with the job.
Acting municipal Manager, Mandisi Planga recently said all that the municipality has understood was that Hedraweb has no machines at the moment and that is why the parking marshals aren't working.
The municipality earlier this year reached an agreement with Hedraweb Investment which is a company owned by Thabo Dlabantu. The agreement was that Hedraweb would manage all parking in the CBD area.
It is the third week now since the parking marshals employed by the company have not been at work.
Apparently there was a service provider that supplied Hedraweb with the meter machines. Planga said the company which provide Dlabantu with the machines stated that there was no business.
"What is happening is that we have a contract with the company of Mr Dlabantu (Hedraweb). Unfortunately he does not have machines at the moment so that is why they are not on the streets.
"But he (Dlabantu) is the best person to respond on that question of who took the machines. We are currently looking at what the contract says and then we will see the way forward.
"Our requirement is that machines need to be available. All we know is that the owner of the machines (the service provider) is saying there is no business and hence they took the machines.
"All we need to do now is to look at the contract and how we move forward because there has to be management of the parking system," said Planga.
Dlabantu, on the other hand, disputed the issue of having no machines to work with. He said that the statement was wrong because he has machines in his office but they are not working.
Dlabantu said he was confused by Planga saying that he had no details of the current situation.
He said he was waiting for the municipality's email correspondence that would grant him permission to respond to questions regarding this matter.
Dlabantu said Planga told him that they had sent him an email and apparently giving him a right of explaining the matter to the media.
"Now he is making me answer issues that are supposed to be answered by them. They know the reason why there are no machines on the streets.
"Now I have to answer myself, I can't deal with that because our contract level of agreement does not allow that. The municipality must have it in writing if they want me to make a statement.
"I can't give out a statement, I can't do that. I have no problem responding to questions but I need a go ahead from the municipality," said Dlabantu.
"The municipality said I must wait and that is the only feedback I have from them. Sometimes these issues back me into a corner, because I'm not supposed to divulge any information.
"Once I do that I'm breaching the contract, I'm still under contract and there is no contract that has been cancelled. It might be very dangerous for me to do that," said Dlabantu.
He continued saying that if he opens up about the matter it could cause a problem for employees and staff as well. Dlabantu said people could lose their jobs because he had spoken out.
He said the workers were not yet back to work but they have not been dismissed or sanctioned. He said it was just a matter of the municipality sorting out the contract. Dlabantu went on to say that he doesn't understand why the municipality does not talk to the media about the matter.
"It depends on the municipality for the workers to be back at work. Nothing is on me, everything depends on the municipality, its the municipality's land and not mine. I hope they come and answer you," said Dlabantu.
The agreement between the municipality and Hedraweb stated that 95 percent of parking revenue would go to the service provider who would then pay on a monthly basis of 5 percent of all parking money collected to the municipality for the duration of the contract.
