•I just want to get paid, nothing more- Webb
A Gaborone based company that is owed P624, 732.48 by government for state house refurbishment has expressed frustration and desperation over delayed payment.
Business owner, Rita Webb spoke out after The Voice asked her to comment on a leaked query from her company, Creative Interior Concepts to the Office of the President.
According to the leaked document, Creative Interior Concepts made several trips to Johannesburg with the first lady, Neo Jane Masisi to buy furniture for the state house.
“The visits to Johannesburg, South Africa were to physically present selected items for purchasing for both furniture and window treatments to the first lady,” Webb has stated in a report seen by The Voice.
Creative Interior Concepts is demanding P624, 732.48 as a variation claim for the extra work they were required to do for the refurbishment of the statehouse.
Creative Interior Concepts was also engaged to, “perform quality assurance checks and inspection on the manufacturing and production of goods purchased as well as perform inventory checks against the orders placed.”
The company further wants reimbursement of flight tickets and accommodation, meals, transport, and 15 % profit and attendance.
They also further claim they were instructed to ‘fast track’ their services because the work was a matter of national urgency and security.
According to the leaked report, they were told to, “ Focus on providing services as and when required to do because Government will not fail to compensate the company accordingly for additional works.”
Reached for comment, Webb expressed reluctance to comment for fear of a possible blacklisting of her company by the government.
The teary Webb told The Voice that she did not mean for the report to be leaked to the public. ” I just want to be paid for the work I have done and long completed.” she said
Meanwhile Government’s spokesperson, Andrew Sesinyi confirmed that Government had engaged the services of the said company to provide interior design services and selection of furniture, curtain railing, curtaining, and blinds at the price of P 201,600.
“The tender was awarded on 3rd September 2018,” said Sesinyi who refused to answer more questions concerning the involvement of the first lady.
The publication further reached out to the office of the first lady, which by the time of going to press had failed to shed more light on the matter.