Mahlangu-Nkabinde tells MPs heads will roll

Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde has said that heads will roll in connection with the inflated R1.6-billion police headquarters leasing deal - but not hers.

After a meeting of parliament's public works portfolio committee, Mahlangu-Nkabinde said several officials would be suspended.

But she said she will not resign, even though Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has found her guilty of maladministration and violating the c onstitution.

"No, I'm not resigning. I am going to be here for as long as the president and the people of South Africa want me here," she said.

"I was not here when those contracts were signed.

"If there is anything that I have signed, I'll take responsibility for that," the minister told MPs.

When asked why she had ignored the advice of two advocates that she cancel the inflated lease with businessman Roux Shabangu, she said: "I got legal opinions for, and I got legal opinions against, and it was on the basis of that that I took this report to the high court ... to be nullified."

In fact, Mahlangu-Nkabinde went to the high court to have the Pretoria lease invalidated only last month - several months after Madonsela said that she should cancel it.

Public Works acting director-general Mandla Mabuza earlier told the committee that he would not talk about the police HQ leases because the matter was "sub judice".

MPs were angered when the department's chief financial officer, Cathy Motsisi, accused a uditor-general Terence Nombembe of making several "huge, sweeping statements" about the department.