Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English by DA MPL, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane MPL here.
Nearly a year after Premier Panyaza Lesufi instituted an investigation into the 41 abandoned government buildings and the contracts of the 11 leased buildings, the residents of Gauteng still do not know how much they are paying for security to safeguard these buildings. Some of the buildings are in the Johannesburg Central Business District (JHB CBD).
This is after the Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng exposed last year that the provincial government is spending R34 million to rent buildings to house government departments.
Instead of spending this money on renting buildings, the provincial government could start fixing one abandoned building at a time. This will go a long way in inspiring investor confidence and revitalising the JHB CBD. This will also free up additional funds to improve service delivery in the province.
The DA Gauteng recently tabled questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to the MEC for Infrastructure, Jacob Mamabolo, to determine how much money has been spent on abandoned government-owned buildings and leased buildings.
MEC Mamabolo once again refused to answer any of our questions regarding the costs associated with leasing buildings and hiring security companies to guard the abandoned buildings, hiding behind the fact that the Premier is investigating the matter.
If Premier Panyaza Lesufi and his government are committed to responsibly spending the taxpayers’ money, they would not hide behind an ongoing investigation into how much money is currently being spent on government-owned buildings that are not currently in use.
The DA Gauteng will continue to ask MEC Mamabolo questions regarding the costs associated with the 41 abandoned buildings and the 11 leased buildings in the JHB CBD.
A DA-led provincial government would have prioritised fixing the abandoned buildings in the JHB CBD to cut down the cost of leasing buildings for the various apartments. Furthermore, we would ensure that all government-owned buildings comply with Occupational Health and Safety regulations.