South Africa's Public Works Ministry to Launch Forensic Probe into Misused State Properties

In a bid to tackle the rampant issue of mismanaged and misappropriated state properties, South Africa’s Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala, has announced plans to initiate a forensic investigation. This decisive move aims to audit the extent of illegally occupied, hijacked, or unlawfully sold state properties across the country.

Responding to DA MP Sello Seitlholo's inquiry about escalating the department's Operation Bring Back campaign, Minister Zikalala acknowledged the urgency of the situation. The department, under the prior stewardship of Patricia de Lille, confessed to bearing the financial burden for numerous unlawfully occupied properties, amounting to payments for rates and services for roughly 1,300 premises.

For the comprehensive probe, the department is gearing up to seek out professional services, including structural engineers, to evaluate the condition and current status of these improperly utilised properties. The groundwork has been laid, with the terms of reference and a procurement strategy that is 'ready to go on the market', which will facilitate sourcing the expertise needed for this extensive audit.

Approximately 18 months after the initial revelation of plans to appoint an independent service provider to aid in reclaiming and auditing these properties, the Ministry is finally embarking on this endeavor, aiming for precision in quantifying the extent of the issue.

As part of the initiative, Zikalala highlighted that 68 vandalised and an additional 27 hijacked buildings had been identified. Foreseeing a future where these premises are returned to proper use, Zikalala outlines various measures including legal eviction processes, demolition applications, and protective maintenance for the beleaguered buildings.

Akin to addressing the current misuse, the department is concurrently conceptualising a programme titled 'Refurbish, Operate and Transfer Programme'. This strategy involves leasing out state-owned properties to the private sector through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). The private entities would be responsible for refurbishing, leasing, maintaining, and ultimately returning the properties in good condition after a specified period. Highlighting the potential of such collaborations, properties including Telkom Towers and Cervitas Building in the City of Tshwane have been marked as pilot projects for this programme, with procurement processes anticipated to commence at the end of the ongoing quarter.

While Zikalala refrains from committing to specific dates to reclaim hijacked buildings, attributing this to the processes underway, the reverberations of this operation are slated to impact the management and maintenance of state properties significantly. At present, no state property has been leased out as the PPP concept is still in the formulation phase, signifying an evolving and proactive strategy in managing public assets.