Latest news with #DepartmentofInfrastructureDevelopment
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
ActionSA demands accountability over R28 million Boipatong Old Age Home scandal
Masabata Mkwananzi | Published 4 hours ago ActionSA in Emfuleni is outraged by the state of the Boipatong Old Age Home, where R28 million has already been spent, yet construction has not progressed, and no elderly residents are benefiting from the stalled project. The project, launched by the Emfuleni Local Municipality in 2015, has been plagued by delays, from contractor failures and poor administration to community unrest. Most shocking of all, planning came to a halt nearly a decade later after the late discovery of a gas pipeline beneath the site. Bongani Dhlamini, ActionSA Emfuleni Regional Chairperson, said the Boipatong Old Age Home debacle highlights the ANC-led government's disregard for residents' well-being and blatant misuse of public funds, adding that those responsible must be held accountable. 'The Department of Infrastructure Development, Emfuleni Municipality, the appointed contractors, as well as all political and administrative officials who oversaw this project without intervening when the project was halted, must be held accountable. Political leadership cannot hide behind bureaucratic excuses - oversight is their duty, and failure to act makes them accessories to the failure of this project.' The Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) has now promised that the Boipatong Old Age Home project could be completed by the end of 2026, but only if all conditions are favourable. Dhlamini criticised the Department of Infrastructure Development, calling its 2026 completion promise nothing more than 'political theatre' in the absence of a transparent plan, secured funding, and confirmed contractors. He said ActionSA is demanding a detailed, publicly accessible recovery plan with monthly progress reports to ensure accountability. During an oversight visit last year, 2024, ActionSA said they interacted with residents and families of the would-be beneficiaries, and according to Dhlamini, their local structures have maintained regular contact. The feedback has been deeply troubling; many feel abandoned, have lost trust in the government, and doubt whether the project will ever be completed. Some community members expressed deep frustration and despair over the stalled Boipatong Old Age Home project, sharing their concerns and disappointment on social media. Lori Batista said, 'This is heartbreaking. Only black citizens can stop this. They need to be shown how they're being used. If they don't vote out the corrupt leaders, there's no future; South Africa will end up worse than Zimbabwe. My heart bleeds.' 'Not one project completed in more than 30 years of ruling. Only corruption and stealing to line their own pockets,' said Lettie Hattingh Kriel. Vivienne Haddad Kirkbride echoed these feelings, expressing disbelief that those involved in the project show no shame. She said, "I would never live with myself if I took even a teaspoon that didn't belong to me…We're not all cut from the same cloth." Theo Nkonki, spokesperson for Gauteng MEC Jacob Mamabolo, told The Star that the government is taking strong steps to ensure the Boipatong Old Age Home is finished by 2026: 'We have launched a detailed planning process that includes updated technical studies, revised project scopes, and active engagement with key stakeholders like SASOL.' Nkonki added that safety considerations and redesign efforts are underway, and new contracts will include penalties to hold contractors accountable. When asked why the gas pipeline wasn't detected during the early planning phases, Nkonki explained that the pipeline was only identified during a more thorough review after the department took over the project. 'The SASOL gas pipeline next to the construction site was uncovered during a comprehensive technical assessment that had not been done in the earlier stages. 'The lack of coordinated planning and inadequate initial evaluations contributed to the oversight. We are now in consultation with SASOL to reassess the project's feasibility and prioritise public safety,' he said. The Star [email protected]
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
ActionSA demands accountability over R28 million Boipatong Old Age Home scandal
ActionSA is holding the ANC-led government accountable for the failure of the Boipatong Old Age Home project in Emfuleni, where R28 million has been wasted on a stalled construction that has yet to benefit the elderly. Image: Supplied ActionSA in Emfuleni is outraged by the state of the Boipatong Old Age Home, where R28 million has already been spent, yet construction has not progressed, and no elderly residents are benefiting from the stalled project. The project, launched by the Emfuleni Local Municipality in 2015, has been plagued by delays, from contractor failures and poor administration to community unrest. Most shocking of all, planning came to a halt nearly a decade later after the late discovery of a gas pipeline beneath the site. Bongani Dhlamini, ActionSA Emfuleni Regional Chairperson, said the Boipatong Old Age Home debacle highlights the ANC-led government's disregard for residents' well-being and blatant misuse of public funds, adding that those responsible must be held accountable. 'The Department of Infrastructure Development, Emfuleni Municipality, the appointed contractors, as well as all political and administrative officials who oversaw this project without intervening when the project was halted, must be held accountable. Political leadership cannot hide behind bureaucratic excuses - oversight is their duty, and failure to act makes them accessories to the failure of this project.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) has now promised that the Boipatong Old Age Home project could be completed by the end of 2026, but only if all conditions are favourable. Dhlamini criticised the Department of Infrastructure Development, calling its 2026 completion promise nothing more than 'political theatre' in the absence of a transparent plan, secured funding, and confirmed contractors. He said ActionSA is demanding a detailed, publicly accessible recovery plan with monthly progress reports to ensure accountability. During an oversight visit last year, 2024, ActionSA said they interacted with residents and families of the would-be beneficiaries, and according to Dhlamini, their local structures have maintained regular contact. The feedback has been deeply troubling; many feel abandoned, have lost trust in the government, and doubt whether the project will ever be completed. Some community members expressed deep frustration and despair over the stalled Boipatong Old Age Home project, sharing their concerns and disappointment on social media. Lori Batista said, 'This is heartbreaking. Only black citizens can stop this. They need to be shown how they're being used. If they don't vote out the corrupt leaders, there's no future; South Africa will end up worse than Zimbabwe. My heart bleeds.' 'Not one project completed in more than 30 years of ruling. Only corruption and stealing to line their own pockets,' said Lettie Hattingh Kriel. Vivienne Haddad Kirkbride echoed these feelings, expressing disbelief that those involved in the project show no shame. She said, "I would never live with myself if I took even a teaspoon that didn't belong to me…We're not all cut from the same cloth." Theo Nkonki, spokesperson for Gauteng MEC Jacob Mamabolo, told The Star that the government is taking strong steps to ensure the Boipatong Old Age Home is finished by 2026: 'We have launched a detailed planning process that includes updated technical studies, revised project scopes, and active engagement with key stakeholders like SASOL.' Nkonki added that safety considerations and redesign efforts are underway, and new contracts will include penalties to hold contractors accountable. When asked why the gas pipeline wasn't detected during the early planning phases, Nkonki explained that the pipeline was only identified during a more thorough review after the department took over the project. 'The SASOL gas pipeline next to the construction site was uncovered during a comprehensive technical assessment that had not been done in the earlier stages. 'The lack of coordinated planning and inadequate initial evaluations contributed to the oversight. We are now in consultation with SASOL to reassess the project's feasibility and prioritise public safety,' he said. The Star
The Citizen
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Rus-Ter-Vaal secondary nears completion
VEREENIGING – There is a positive spirit and excitement among Rus-Ter-Vaal residents as the long awaited Rus-Ter-Vaal Secondary School project nears completion. Despite the multiple challenges faced during the course of the project, residents say that they are happy about the progress that has been made. Giving a progress report recently, the Department of Infrastructure Development said the project registered significant progress. 'This development follows the recent appointment of a new completion contractor after the Department of Infrastructure Development terminated the previous contractor for performance reasons. 'The timely completion of infrastructure projects is a top priority for government and the message has been communicated to all project teams by MEC Jacob Mamabolo. The project pipeline of the department has also gained traction following the launch of the Infrastructure Delivery Platform, an integrated project management dashboard that enables more effective monitoring and intervention in the case of challenges.' DID said that the Head of Department, Masabata Mutlaneng has been making unannounced visits to various project sites across the province, ensuring that contractors adhere to the service level agreements to enable speedy community access to public facilities. DID stated that the contractor has since taken to site and proceeded with implementation of the completion works including the construction of the school hall and other ancillary facilities. 'The project scope involves the construction of a new brick-and-mortar education facility replacing an old asbestos school, and will entail facilities such as laboratories, sporting amenities, administration blocks, staff facilities, and others.' The facility is set to be a fully integrated smart facility that forms part of a technology rollout by the Gauteng Department of Education. The new school will accommodate 1,000 learners. Community member Rowan Lewaak says, 'The culmination of this project represents a significant achievement, particularly considering the various challenges encountered. Our children will finally have access to a state-of-the-art educational facility. The community is pleased that the school project has made significant progress and is nearing completion.'. 'We will remain thankful to the Premier of Gauteng, Mr. Panyaza Lesufi, for upholding his commitment to the community.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
26-04-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Gauteng government reveals R2 billion spent on office rentals in five years
Gauteng departments operate from privately owned building while 41 government-owned offices in Johannesburg and Pretoria stand empty. Failure to maintain their assets is costing the provincial government millions in unnecessary expenditure. Due to the buildings owned by the provincial government not being fit for purpose, R34 million per month is spent on providing officials with a space to work. While provincial leaders say it is a temporary measure, expenditure over the last five years shows a massive waste of funds while over 40 government-owned buildings stand empty. R2.2 billion over five years Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development Jacob Mamabolo revealed the figures is a written response to a question posed in the Gauteng provincial legislature. He explained that there are at least 41 government offices in the province are standing empty because they do not meet occupation health and safety standards. Paid for through the national Department of Infrastructure Development (DID), R2.2 billion was spent in the last five financial years on offices for Gauteng departments. In the 2019/20 financial year, the department spent R393 million on offices and a further R398 million in the 2020/21 financial year. This annual expenditure rose to R490 million in 2021/22 but decreased to R468 million and R458 million for the next two financial years, respectively. The office of Premier Panyaza Lesufi located in Marshall Street costs R4 million a month, while three offices in Loveday, Fox and Sauer Streets used by the Department of Education cost a combined R10.6 million per month. Offices shared by the Departments of Agriculture and Economic Development in Eloff Street cost a combined R7 million. A table of the departments using rented office space. Picture: Gauteng Provincial Government Properties vandalised Mamabolo explained that a lack of maintenance was the cause of the deterioration of the 41 properties. 'Insufficient funding for maintenance and refurbishment of government-owned buildings has led to a prolonged period of non-compliance with Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Standards,' stated the MEC. 'DID explored alternative solutions including leasing from third parties to ensure the provision of required office accommodation, thereby fulfilling its mandate,' he explained. The opposition in the province have since tabled a motion in the legislature to compel the administration to fix their buildings. 'Had these buildings been maintained properly, there would be no need to spend millions on rentals that can be used to deliver services,' Rasilingwane said. 'In addition, the Gauteng provincial government is paying millions of rands for security at these buildings, yet they are still being vandalised,' she added. Revitalisation projects Of the 41 vacant government offices, 12 are located in the Johannesburg CBD, while the other 29 are situated in Pretoria. Mamabolo explained refurbishment of the buildings was on the cards as they formed part of a plan to retore the Johannesburg CBD. 'The leasing of office accommodation from private landlords is a temporary solution pending the long-term revitalisation of government-owned buildings through the Gauteng Precinct Development Project,' stated the MEC. As for the properties in Pretoria, Mamabolo said they were earmarked for development by private investors in line with a national project to repurpose government buildings. 'These buildings form part of the assets where DID is concluding an exchange agreement with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure,' the MEC said. NOW READ: Gauteng budget: Here's where your money is going
