Shocking mismanagement, overspending revealed as public works misses 80% of its targets in 2022/23

Members of Parliament’s portfolio committee on public works and infrastructure raised concerns that the department had failed to meet about 80% of its projects planned in the 2022/23 financial year.

The DA’s Edwin Bath asked if the department had an action plan to fast-track delayed projects. He said it was “not acceptable” that the department failed to achieve 80% of its targets.

In March GroundUp reported on the auditor-general’s report on material irregularities to the portfolio committee. It found that the Telkom Towers complex in Pretoria was purchased by public works in April 2016 for nearly R700-million. But eight years later, the complex had been underutilised and police staff were recently evacuated from the premises due to safety concerns. Eight of the buildings in the complex were vacant, costing the government at least R592-million. This was flagged by the auditor-general as a material irregularity.

The Telkom Towers were meant to be the South African Police Service (SAPS) headquarters in Pretoria, but they were declared unfit for human use after an inspection by labour department officials earlier this year.

But then Police Minister Bheki Cele admitted that he had been working from home for the past four years due to the state of the Telkom Towers.

During the briefing on Wednesday, Wayne Thring of the ACDP questioned the progress of the Telkom Towers matter. He said hundreds of millions of rand had been “spent to house the SAPS” in the complex, which remained incomplete.

To this, Siza Sibande, the head of Property Management Trading Entity at the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, said the department was in the process of addressing some of the issues.

“There are some matters that go as far back as 2013 and include the Telkom Towers issue, where the minister has instituted an investigation… We are currently reviewing our annual performance plan as part of the budget assessment process,” he said.

The portfolio committee is expected to visit Telkom Towers next month.

Incomplete projects

DM