Public Works’ review of cost of Ministerial homes expected next year

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The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure says it will complete its review of the costs of Ministerial residences in January next year. This after reports emerged that the department had splashed R93 million on Ministerial residences between 2019 and now. The Department has briefed public accounts watchdog, SCOPA in Parliament.

The department is reviewing the costs of maintaining two houses for Ministers. In the last financial year alone, maintenance costs stood at R24.6 million for Ministerial residences in Cape Town and Pretoria.

“Currently the department is conducting a feasibility study and looking at cost benefit analysis as well of ministers of having these two houses both in Cape Town and Pretoria,” says Mzwandile Sazona, Chief Director Prestige Project at the Public Works Department.

Maintenace and refurbishment costs are also high for the three Parliamentary villages in Cape Town. Some lawmakers want the villages to be done away with.

“Would it not be wise to look at doing away with Parliamentary villages altogether and saying to members they must look after their own accommodation on a fixed allowance of some sort rather than spending a lot of money rebuilding these houses?,” asks Alf Lees, DA MP.

“I believe that matter has been raised with an independent commission and it’s investigating it and once the investigation is finalized and concluded then the department will consider those recommendations that come from the president,” Sazona added.

The electricity for at least one of the villages is R10 million a year while transport for MPs at one stage was R11 million, although the department says this has significantly decreased. Meanwhile, the Special Investigating Unit says even contractors are milking the department on maintenance work.

“There was inflation of bills of quantities and there was non-delivery by contractors for the repairs of seven ministerial houses which fall within the prestige portfolio in Pretoria and there was also abuse of emergency and urgent procurement delegation processes, “says Leonard Lekgetho, Chief Investigator at the SIU.

The SIU says collusion between officials and contractors must be eliminated and project management be strengthened.

“Issues around inflating of project costs and invoices, I mean if I am a service provider and I charge the department and I inflate the costs, the first line of defence from the department is the project manager. The project manager should be the one that picks it up first before it is processed into payment so the issues around project management really require attention,” says Adv. Andy Mothibi, SIU head.

The Department says it spent just under R4 million on official funerals. On funerals of political veterans like Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, costs were inflated by R10 million, and they are being recovered.