Home | News | GOVT SPENDS E671M, SOME BUILDINGS NOT RENOVATED

GOVT SPENDS E671M, SOME BUILDINGS NOT RENOVATED

17/01/2021 00:20:00 BY MFANUKHONA NKAMBULE

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mfanukhona@times.co.sz

MBABANE – An audit report on public property revealed that government was unable to maintain its houses and offices because of current financial challenges.

Regardless of these challenges, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport’s financials show a sum of E671 million it claims to have spent on the rehabilitation of government buildings.

However, many of the buildings selected for rehabilitation are still dilapidated and leaking. Reads the audit report tabled in Parliament by Minister of Public Service Christian Ntshangase: “It is also important to note that due to the current financial challenges faced by government, it has increasingly become difficult to maintain government structures, including houses for accommodation and offices.”

management

It is not clear which of these so-called buildings received a major facelift-staff and management of the departments of Deeds and Audit vacated their offices last year because they posed a health hazard to the occupants. They moved the offices to Dlanubeka Building in Mbabane. This they did after they failed to find space at the Interministerial Building, which was built at a cost of over E1 billion.

The rehabilitation of government buildings is classified as G500.

Investigations by this newspaper showed that some buildings were not rehabilitated despite the fact that the project was launched about nine years ago.

Structures that still need facelifts include the High Court, which is reportedly leaking and exposing files to unfavourable weather conditions. Judges of the Industrial Court moved to Madlenya Building to provide space for their colleagues at the High Court.

It is said that the block that used to house the Industrial Court, which is the High Court building, is reportedly not up to standard. A source familiar with the issue suggested that Parliament should have instituted an audit for government buildings. This is because they are actually dilapidated and unfit for human occupation. The source complained that they were so dilapidated despite the fact that financial resources were utilised for their rehabilitations. He said the estimated budget for rehabilitation of government offices was fixed at E709 million – and E671 million has since been used.

“The ministry responsible for rehabilitation of government buildings should be audited just as Parliament ordered the Ministry of Public Service to audit government pool and institutional houses,” the concerned source said.

“We want to know where and how the E671 million was spent.

rehabilitation

“That’s a lot of money to accept that it was utilised for the rehabilitation of the government structures. With a budget of E671 million, you can finance the renovation of all key government buildings.” Apart from the newly-constructed building, which is an extension of the current structures housing ministries – justice and home affairs, the condition has not yet changed as the offices are still old. On Friday, the publication discovered that preparations were underway to renovate the old building as skyscrapers were attached to the wall facing the Interministerial Complex.

The external paint at the Ministry of Education and Training is peeling off.

Some government buildings have been abandoned.

They were not included on the list of structures earmarked for renovations. They include the offices for the judicial commissioner, which stands on understandably big land within the city boundaries – not far from the Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation (ESRIC). The judicial commissioner oversees the operation of national courts.

Another one is the Sidwashini Transitional Production Centre. The two buildings are now sorry sights as they are inhabitable.

development

Some touch-ups were done on the ground floor and first floor of the building housing the ministries of tourism, natural resources and housing and urban development. The budget for the renovation of the PPCU is separate from the G500 Project. In 2012, a sum of E5.83 million was released for the rehabilitation of the PPCU offices, construction of 13 offices, new Cabinet chamber and conference room. In the current financial year, the PPCU building will be renovated at a cost of E3 million. In 2014, E3 million had been allocated for the same project.