The justification provided by Dr Zamani Saul, Northern Cape premier, for the move of the premier’s office from the JB Sauer building, owned by Transnet, to the DSC building in Monument Heights in Kimberley, poses more questions than answers.
This is the view of Pakes Dikgetsi, who identifies himself as a member of the public. Dikgetsi was an ANC member and an MEC for more than a decade in the Northern Cape.
“The premier peddles hogwash as justification and does not have fidelity with the truth or evidence. He is the head of government and the buck stops with him.”
Dikgetsi mentions that his Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) request for more information about the move has not delivered any results yet.
“Why is it so difficult for the premier to simply answer parliamentary questions in the legislature or comply with the Paia and its obligations to disclose the information and provide the reasons for the move out of a state building into a privately owned building? What is he hiding? The little-known speaker is allowing him to get away with a gross lack of accountability.
“The truth about this potential Trifecta number two shall emerge during the Special Investigation unit and Public Protector independent investigations.”
John Block, previous provincial ANC chairperson, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for corruption after he had used his influence to ensure the Trifecta company concluded inflated rental contracts for state departments’ offices.
Saul recently said he reckoned that the new DCS building offered much more value for money than the JB Sauer building. It followed months of speculation as to whether the correct tender processes were followed for the new lease. He said the 60-year-old JB Sauer building was not maintained and there were problems with constant electricity supply, broken lifts, leaking pipes and sewage.
According to Saul, the DSC building is the only logical choice because the lease includes property tax and services, and the building is well maintained and meets safety standards. There is also enough safe parking for the 280 officials.
The old lease came to an end in 2015.
A dispute arose with Transnet, who demanded an annual price increase of 6,5%. The premier refused to pay the accumulated R64 million due to the lack of maintenance and the poor condition of the building. While they paid rent of R1,6 million monthly, they spent R4 million for upkeep of a building that does not belong to the premier’s office. The Department of Labour also found that the building no longer met the minimum safety and health standards, as confirmed by an independent engineering report.
The premier’s offer that the building be donated to his office was allegedly rejected by Transnet and the minister of Transport.
Saul is still prepared to move back if the JB Sauer building is donated to his office.
Dikgetsi is sceptical about the premier’s explanations.
“His supposed justification for moving from a state-owned building to a privately-owned building poses more questions. His answers are riddled with glaring contradictions and lazy attempts at obfuscation and deflection.
“The premier claims that former minister Fikile Mbalula and Transnet were not responsive to their requests to fix or donate the building. He does not explain whether he approached the Board of Transnet, which is the legal authority of the entity’s assets. The minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, is the shareholder minister for this state-owned entity and not the minister of Transport.
“Why didn’t he invoke the inter-governmental relations mechanisms through the Presidential Coordination Council, of which he is a member, and the minister of finance to convince them that his province wants to cut wastage and frills as he said in his inauguration speech?
“A genuine cost-cutting crusader will go all the way to cut wastage and frills. It is a glaring contradiction that he will move back. Why make such a call when they have already moved to a lavish glass house and proudly welcome all members of the public and interested parties to visit. It shows equivocation, ambivalence, and a lack of commitment to cut wastage.”
Dikgetsi says the premier cannot “run away for cover into a glass house” from the R64 million owed.
“Transnet won’t make the debt go away. A whole state organ refusing to honour its contractual obligations to another state organ is an extreme contradiction. The Auditor General will certainly find it a contingent liability.
“Transnet will be well within its legal right to obtain a court injunction to recover the arrear amount. Will the premier fork out more money to defend the legal claim? He is deliberately incurring wasteful and irregular expenditure.”
