The Impact of COVID-19 on South Africa’s Construction Sector
COVID-19 has its grip firmly on South Africa, with more than 10 000 daily cases on average throughout the past month. As a result, lockdown restrictions are in place to kerb the spread of the virus. Although the restrictions and regulations are consistently disobeyed by the citizens, these restrictions are legally binding to businesses, having a direct and undeniable impact on how they operate. This is especially true for businesses operating with large workforces on sites, which is the case with construction.
COVID-19’s Effect on Contractors/Sub-Contractors
Occupational Health and Safety is one of the primary concerns of construction contractors and sub-contractors, ensuring that their workforce is safe when working with heavy machinery and from elevated heights. COVID-19 also plays into Occupational Health and Safety, putting more pressure on the contractor to ensure that the virus does not spread among their employees. On top of this, lockdown restrictions led to serious delays, which are still occurring as a result of the current lockdown. Therefore, disputes between dissatisfied/impatient clients and contractors could arise because of “tardiness” or contract breaches that refer to completion dates.
From a client’s or project manager’s point of view, they can become reluctant to pay the full sum amount of the construction, feeling that they have valid reasons pertaining to delays and/or unsatisfactory work. This brings us to the legal side of Construction and Contractual Law in South Africa – a domain in which Allardyce & Partners Attorneys specialises in. We represent contractors/sub-contractors that have legal grounds to act against a client/project manager that refuses to pay their dues. We can offer our services on a “no win, no fee” contingency that is tied to our terms of service as well, ensuring that you do not carry severe legal fees in the case that you lose your dispute. Throughout these trying times in our country, you can rely on Allardyce & Partners Attorneys to stand by your side with specialist Construction and Contractual Law legal services and representation. Please contact us on 011 234 2125 or email us at enquiries@www.allardyce.co.za to find out how we can help you today.
