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E1 billion embassy PROJECT

26/05/2013 04:05:00 BY MFANUKHONA NKAMBULE

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EZULWINI – Swazi contractors have missed out on an opportunity to build a new USA Embassy Complex in Ezulwini valued at E1 billion as they are not eligible to be prime contractors of this massive project.

The tender for construction of the embassy has been given to B.L Habert International, which recently completed a US$500 million (E4.6 billion) American Embassy in London.
Currently, workers are busy with earthworks and no structure has been built yet.

The US Embassy in Swaziland says more than 500 individuals would be working on the new building through the main and sub-contractors. Many of those people will be Swazi citizens.
It is anticipated that the project will also train and transfer skills to hundreds of Swazi citizens in state-of-the-art international construction methods, which shall benefit Swaziland for years to come, according to the US Embassy.

Swazi contractors have cried foul that the tender was not advertised locally, saying tall buildings and classy malls such as Riverstone, Corporate Place and Gables Shopping Complex proved that local companies were capable.
The US Embassy has, however, consoled them by allowing Habert International to be responsible for subcontracting in areas of work such as grading, concrete placement and security services.

It has been observed that the new US Embassy is arguably the third biggest project to be undertaken in the country after the Millennium Projects which have so far cost E3.3 billion and Ngwenya-Mbabane bypass road which took over E1 billion from the public purse.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the new embassy is understood to be one of the biggest complexes after the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which cost $157 million (E1.5 billion).
It can be said that the private sector in Swaziland had undertaken the construction of multimillion buildings including the Gables Shopping Mall, Riverstone Mall (E250 million); Corner Plaza, Corporate Place, Swaziland Public Service Pension Fund Buildings and others but none had arguably reached the E1 billion mark.

The Times SUNDAY has been told that the reason for the US Government to award the tender to B.L. Habert International and not advertise it locally was that only US contractors with security clearance were eligible to serve as the prime contractor.

In US currency, the new embassy would cost $109 million, which translates to E1 013 700 000 in local currency. This is based on the current foreign exchange rate placing one dollar at about E9.30.

“Because of security requirements, only US contractors with security clearance are eligible to serve as the prime contractor for this project. The tender was awarded to the contractor who provided the US Government with the overall best value to the project. The successful contractor offered the right mix of construction expertise, design capability and security clearance,” Molly Sanchez Crowe, Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy to Swaziland said.

As per standard procedure, the public affairs officer said, the tender was posted on a publicly-available website used for advertising business opportunities with the US government.
This is the Federal Business Opportunities website. “We are very pleased that the new US Embassy building in Swaziland will be a beautiful addition to the Ezulwini Valley and a significant, tangible demonstration of our long-term commitment to a strong relationship between the United States and Swaziland.”

She said they would share the designs of the building with the public during an official groundbreaking ceremony to take place at a later date.
The new building will be used only for US Embassy staff since it was currently housed in two separate locations and the new larger building would allow them to work in one common location.

Crowe said the contract requirements, performance standards, materials specifications and building codes were quite stringent and should be adhered to.
She said building material might be sourced and purchased from any location within Swaziland, regionally, within Southern Africa or globally where it could be shown that the material met or exceeded performance requirements, standards, codes and specifications.

“Contractors will generally acquire the materials from the most advantageous source considering contract compliance and price,” the public affairs officer said.
She said the final product would be an elegant and environmentally-friendly building that would serve as the permanent home for the US Embassy in Swaziland.

Mtiti Fakudze, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, declined to comment on the matter; saying it was not necessary to relay a congratulatory message to the Americans because many embassies would also set up theirs in Ezulwini. Meanwhile, the Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) in Washington DC described the new embassy as a multi-building complex.

The OBD told the American taxpayer that it would include new chancery support facilities and access controls. The project is scheduled for completion in June 2015. A chancery is the main embassy building. It is often complemented by other buildings that may house the consular section, an information resource centre, or a conference hall, as well as the offices of other agencies. The ambassador’s residence, which is used for many diplomatic and public functions, is sometimes located on the embassy compound but more often elsewhere in the city.

As the public face of the United States of America in the host country, the chancery is usually architecturally impressive—either a historic building or a striking newer structure.
The concept design architect is Karn Charuhas Chapman and Twohey (KCCT) of Washington D.C. and the architect of record is Page Southerland Page of Arlington, Virginia.

It is said that the new facility is pursuing certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and will include numerous sustainable features, including photo-voltaics, light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse for irrigation, and solar hot water heating.

OBO said its mission was to provide safe, secure and functional facilities that represented the USG to the host nation and support the staff in the achievement of US foreign policy objectives. It is said that this facility should represent American values and the best in architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.