Delays in completion of building construction projects in the Botswana public sector by medium to large category C, D and E contractors

Abstract

A contract between a prospective building owner and a building contractor is rather like a contract of sell between a buyer of goods and the seller. What makes the building contractor different from the seller of goods, however, is that unlike the seller of goods who deals in identical ready-made goods, the building contractor deals in unique goods that must be assembled at a unique location. One of the essential features of a building contract is that the time or period for performance by the seller, in this case the building contractor is agreed in advance. The delivery of a building project by the contractor to the building buyer or client within the contractually agreed timeframe is, however, in reality rarely achieved. This is because the unique nature of each building project in terms of project characteristics such as design, size, complexity, quality, and location pose unique challenges to the building contractor. A review of literature on the subject revealed that in developed countries where the building industry is expected to be quite efficient, at best, only about 20% of building projects are delivered within the agreed time period. The performance in the building industry in the Republic of Botswana, a developing economy, is not as good as in the developed countries. The performance of indigenous or 100% citizen contractors in Botswana is even more suspect, and has been the subject of much debate in this developing Southern African country.