(1)With reference to the (a) Walter Sisulu Local Municipal area and (b) Senqu Local Municipal area in the past five financial years, (i)(aa) what total number of schools has her department started to build and (bb) where have they started building and (ii) what number of the specified schools have been completed;
(2) whether any of the projects are over their allocated duration period; if so, (a) which schools, (b) how long over and (c) what is the extra cost for going over the build time;
(3) what is the envisaged time frame and relevant details of her department’s plan to finalise schools that are still incomplete?
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
Construction of schools is not within the mandate of the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, however, our sister department, Department of Basic Education, whose mandate entails development, maintenance and support for schools will be best suited to provide a response to this question.
(a) What total amount was spent to refurbish each of the six buildings that were handed over to the Department of Social Development in the Western Cape for the purpose of being used as shelters in terms of the Victim Empowerment Programme and (b) how long did it take to complete the refurbishments?
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
a) Total amount spent, to refurbish each of the six buildings that were handed over to the Department of Social Development in the Western Cape for the purpose of being used as shelters in terms of the Victim Empowerment Programme, is R1 026 900,00.
b) The refurbishment of shelters commenced on the 07th May 2020 and was ...
In light of the fact that the Doornkop Police Station is based on a privately-owned property that belongs to an entity called Human People, and that her department is currently responsible for the maintenance of the specified property, (a) who currently owns the property, (b) what is the process to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is provided to the specified police station to be able to do their job effectively and (c) what is the (i) plan and (ii) timeline for the completion of renovations at the police station?
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
a) I have been informed by the Department that the site ERF 3206, Thulani Ext. 1, is a Provincial Government site. The property currently belongs to Gauteng Provincial Department.
b) National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (NDPWI) requested permission to build and occupy whilst the acquisition of the property unfolds. The permission to build and ...
In light of the renovations undertaken by her department at the Protea Glen Police Station, including the holding cells, that started in 2016 and have been moving slowly and almost non-existent, thereby putting immense pressure on the specified police station, as they now have to travel a distance to other police stations to be able to use their holding cells, and also taking away time and resources that could be better spent within the Protea Glen precinct and the citizens they serve, what (a) are the reasons that the project at Protea Glen Police Station is taking so long and (b) is her department’s timeline to complete the renovations?
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
I have been informed that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (“DPWI”) does not have a registered project to renovate the Protea Glen Police Station including holding cells since 2016.
The only project for DPWI in the vicinity that went into construction relates to Sinkholes and Dolomite rehabilitation including cavity grouting, joint sealing and repairs ...
(a)What outstanding amounts are owed by her department in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to the Msunduzi Local Municipality in terms of outstanding rates for schools in the specified municipality,
(b) what payment arrangements has been entered into with the municipality to honour monies owed for the specified schools,
(c) what are the time frames for such arrangements,
(d) has the municipality acknowledged the payment arrangements or refused the payment arrangements, and
(e) what engagements has she had with the municipality to address constant school disconnections due to monies owed by her department?
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
With regard to outstanding amounts that are owed by schools in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to the Msunduzi Local Municipality in terms of outstanding rates for schools in the specified municipality; payment of municipal rates for schools is not in the purview of the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, therefore this question can be best responded ...
Whether, with regard to the site establishment taking place at the SA National Defence Force College of Intelligence in Waterkloof, her department is constructing the project; if not, who is responsible for the construction of the project; if so, what are the relevant details in respect of the (a) scope of work, (b) project value, (c) localisation plan and framework of the main contractor and (d) appointment of the Chief Legal Officer?
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
I have been informed that the project in question is being implemented by the Department of Defence and not the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
Therefore, (a), (b), (c) and (d), Fall away.
(1) With regard to the findings of alleged corruption that has been flagged in her department relating to tenders to repair state-owned properties that were damaged during the April 2022 floods, what (a) forms of consequence management will her department be instituting against the workers who have been fingered in the malpractice and (b) corrective measures does her department intend to take to ensure that employees of her department do not delay the process to repair the properties any further;
(2) Whether her department has taken any steps that seek to include women, youth and individuals with
disabilities in departmental programmes; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
(1)
a) I have been informed that disciplinary processes will be instituted against employees who may be fingered in the malpractices as soon as internal investigation is concluded.
b) The department has developed a task team that monitors and ensures the smooth running of the process.
2. Empowerment initiatives for Women, Youth & People with disabilities ...
Whether, considering that construction waste has been identified as one of the core problems in the construction industry across the world and in the Republic between five and eight million tons of construction waste are generated annually, as up to 30% of the material delivered to a construction site ends up as waste, and noting that neither national nor municipal legislation and/or regulations require contractors to have a waste management plan, as only a small fraction of the waste is reused or recycled, with the result that a large amount of waste is disposed of in landfills, which are rapidly reaching capacity in many places, her department intends to develop and enforce legislation and/or regulations around the issue of waste management; if not, why not; if so, what are the full, relevant details?
:
- I have been informed by the Department that the Public Works Green Building Policy as approved and signed on the 31st of May 2018, in section 10.4, paragraph 3 states that DPWI will develop guidelines and minimum standards for the management and recycling of construction waste. These guidelines and minimum standards are incorporated into the relevant specifications for the construction works of DPWI ...
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Whether her department is responsible for the construction of the site establishment project taking place at the SA National Defence Force College of Intelligence in Waterkloof; if not, who is responsible for the construction of the project; if so, what are the relevant details in respect of the (a) main contractor, (b) number of persons employed who are (i) South African citizens and (ii) foreign nationals, (c) (i) professional quantity surveyor and (ii) project manager and (d) small, medium and micro enterprises appointed in respect of the 30% allocation for sub-contractors?
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
I have been informed that the project is being implemented by the Department of Defence and not the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
Therefore, (a), (b) (i) & (ii), (c) (i) & (ii) and (d), Fall away.
In light of the fact that the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) has been at the helm as the implementing agency for the Telkom Towers project since 2015, and to date the project has not been completed despite numerous promises to do so, what are the reasons that the DBSA is still retained as an implementing agency despite the fact that the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure does not have jurisdiction over DBSA but the Independent Development Trust which is an entity within her department and has a responsibility to provide infrastructure according to its mandate?
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
Background
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (“DPWI”) was informed by the Telkom Retirement Fund (“TRF”) itself on 07th March 2015 that the subject property was still on the market, which led to the Department investigating the viability of the property and an eventual acquisition in 2015 for use as government accommodation.
The Telkom Towers Complex ...
