Construction firm Grinaker LTA, in which JSE-listed Aveng holds a 75% stake, was excluded from the bidding process to build the King Shaka airport, in Durban, because it could not commit to the 70% black-economic empowerment procurement required by Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa), the owner of the facility, as well as the performance bond required, Aveng said on Monday.

Speaking at a function at the firm’s head office, in Sandton, CE Carl Grim said, however, that Aveng, which headed the Indiza group, should have been allowed the opportunity to discuss these problems before being excluded from the bidding process.

The Group Five-WBHO-led Illembe consortium was awarded the contract, estimated to be worth as much as R5-billion.

“We represent a host of companies, small and big, that invested in the bid, which was unfairly adjudicated,” Grim emphasised.

He added that the submission of the Indiza group’s bid documents was supposed to have been followed by discussions, which did not occur.

Grim noted that Aveng had filed its claim, and that the review process was still underway, with no court date having been set yet.

Asked if the Indiza group was seeking compensation, or a chance to win the contract, Grim was quick to say: “We want to build the thing, it’s a big project”.

The King Shaka airport, which was to replace Durban’s existing international airport, would be the anchor component of the Dube Tradeport, which would also include a trade zone, with full customs and exise facilities and bonded areas.

Grim said that it was hoped for the airport to be completed before 2010.