Times Of Swaziland: GOVT SPENDS E671M, SOME BUILDINGS NOT RENOVATED

GOVT SPENDS E671M, SOME BUILDINGS NOT RENOVATED
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BY MFANUKHONA NKAMBULE on 17/01/2021 00:20:00


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.