R4 billion to rebuild Parliament but there was no lawful transfer of the project
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, said there was no evidence that the R4 billion Parliament Rebuild Project was ever lawfully transferred.
The transfer from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to Parliament had to happen during the tenure of his predecessor, Minister Patricia de Lille.
Macpherson instructed the Director-General to investigate departmental records to get to the bottom of the issue.
“There was no formal transfer of the project, no written delegation of powers, and no documentation transferring custodial responsibility,” he said.
He further stated that, because no such records exist, the Department cannot explain what actions previous Ministers may have taken.
Despite the apparent absence of a documented transfer, Parliament proceeded to appoint the DBSA as the implementing agent for the project.
Member of Parliament, Rikus Badenhorst, said he will request the Standing Committee on the Financial Management to investigate the matter. This includes:
- Under what legal authority did Parliament assume responsibility for the rebuild project?
- What documentation or legal opinions were relied upon before appointing the DBSA as the implementing agent?
- Whether all statutory requirements were satisfied before procurement and implementation commenced.
He will also request that all legal opinions, delegations, agreements, and correspondence relating to the transfer be tabled.
“Former Minister Patricia de Lille must be invited to explain whether any decision was taken during her tenure to transfer responsibility for the project,” he said.
Should evidence of maladministration or unlawful conduct be uncovered, it must be referred to the appropriate oversight and law-enforcement authorities.
“If no lawful transfer took place during the tenure of De Lille, Parliament must explain on what legal basis it assumed responsibility for the project,” he said.
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Zandile Christmas Mafe, the accused in the January 2022 Parliament fire, remains institutionalised as a state patient at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and declared legally unfit to stand trial. Current Status and Legal Proceedings Medical Status: Diagnosed with severe schizophrenia; a court ruled he cannot understand trial proceedings or face criminal prosecution.Held and treated as a state patient at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital following periodic mental health evaluations.Charges Faced: Originally charged with arson, housebreaking, theft, and terrorism for the January 2, 2022 blaze that gutted the National Assembly.
In November, the price tag of the post-fire reconstruction and rebuild was set at R4.6 billion, double the original estimate in 2023. The rebuild is set for completion by November 2026. “One would have expected it to have been completed by now.”