AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MAJOR CAUSES OF TIME OVERRUN IN ZIMBABWE

Time overruns have become a common phenomenon on most construction projects worldwide. It is against that background that the research sorted to investigate the major causes of time overrun and try to come up with recommendation which minimizes time overruns in the Zimbabwean Construction Industry. Extensive literature search coupled with structured questionnaires and interviews were conducted to identify the major causes of time overruns in private sector projects and also find the mitigation measures. The research finding showed that an average of 76% of projects in Zimbabwe are not completed in time. The research also showed that most projects are completed above 25% of the original project time. The most common cause of delay identified by all three parties is design change or variation. The prevailing causes of time overrun according to the three main parties include design change, low productivity, poor time management, incompetence by the contractor, late payment, delay inprocessing payment, contractor's financial capacity and loss of skilled workers. The research recommends prompt payment of certificates, provision of project information on time and motivation of labourer.