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It is reported that the Eastern Cape provincial administration is trying to evade out of forking out millions to an architecture firm after blundering a contract.
On the 20th of December, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) refused the Eastern Cape’s departments of public works and health’s leave to appeal a previous ruling, dismissing their bid to have the contact reviewed and set aside.
Ikamva Architects was appointed in 2003 as consultants or the principal agent for upgrades to Frere Hospital in East London.
Reports say that three and a half years later, the work ended up being given to another firm.
The contract was cancelled and in 2015, Ikamva secured a judgement against the departments to the amount of R41 million, plus interest.
The department’s efforts, first to appeal the 2015 judgement, and then to get it revoked were unsuccessful.
The department brought a new application to have the contract reviewed and set aside. It was dismissed by the High Court in 2021.
In December, the SCA agreed, saying what the application sought to do was tender the damages awarded meaningless.
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