The maintenance, restoration and construction of prestigious accommodation for top South African politicians and key officials will take nearly R90-million out of the Department of Public Works’s building kitty during the current financial year.
The department has a budget of R1,9-billion for all public buildings in nine of the provinces.
In addition to the prestige component — but included in the total budgetary allocation — an amount of “between R2-million and R5-million” for the “presidential golf course”. The money is for the “upgrading and management of the facility”.
The department confirmed that the golf course was on the presidential estate, Bryntirion, in Pretoria and the money would be spent on the irrigation system.
The final cost of the project is still “in the process of assessment”.
In addition more than R14-million is to be spent on buildings in Gauteng, including paving and walkways costing between “R5-million and R20-million” at the Union Buildings. There is also a budget for the construction of a tourism centre and ablution facilities in the garden that will also cost between R5-million and R20-million.
An amount just short of R72-million will be spent in the Western Cape on luxury buildings.
An amount of up to R2-million will be spent on the refurbishment of the windows and security doors at Mouille Grange Flats, in which directors general and key staff are housed while attending parliamentary sessions. Money has also been set aside to upgrade security at ministerial homes in the province.
According to a memorandum R900-million, nearly half of the department’s total budget for buildings, would be spent on prisons in nine provinces while R230-million would be spent on police buildings. — I-Net Bridge