Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson says he will commission an independent report into the purchase of the former Telkom headquarters building in 2016 for R695 million and its subsequent renovation for R250 million.
The commission is meant to provide the Minister with recommendations within 60 days following its appointment and the necessary steps to address and remedy the situation.
Joined by the City of Tshwane Mayor, Cilliers Brink, on an oversight visit to the building on Thursday morning, Macpherson said it is unacceptable that for the past eight years, the building complex has barely been utilised and has been left vacant.
“It is disheartening that so much public funding has been spent to purchase and renovate the building, [and it has been] vandalised and occupied by criminal elements, thereby creating an additional burden for the City of Tshwane,” Macpherson said.
“We simply cannot spend more than eight years trying to establish how to secure public property while it deteriorates into lawlessness,” he said.
The Minister said the terms of reference for the independent investigation will be to provide him with answers to the following questions:
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What led to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure buying the Telkom Tower complex and whether the purchase was necessary?
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What was the process which was followed for contracts to be appointed and whether the contractors were fit for purpose?
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Whether the purchase of the complex by the Department of Public Works was the best option for the South African Police Service?
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Whether any officials should be held accountable for the position the department finds itself in, in relation to the purchase and renovation of the building?
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Are there any grounds to reclaim any monies paid to contractors where work was not done, or not done according to building standards or health and safety standards?
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What will be the best way forward considering the current state of the building?
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What steps can be taken to avoid the situation from occurring again?
“As the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, we need to start moving faster to ensure that public investments are secured and utilised to avoid the wastage of any public monies in a fiscally constrained environment.
“We simply cannot be spending millions to repair and address vandalism, and poor planning and spending by the department,” the Minister said.
“We will have to start working closer with role players such as the City of Tshwane to ensure our buildings are used for the public good and do not fall into disrepair and cause a burden for the municipality. By working together, we can reclaim these buildings, unleash infrastructure investment and turn the country into a construction site. Let’s Build South Africa,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
