Minister seeks help from court

Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde has applied to the High Court in Pretoria to have a lease contract signed with businessman Roux Shabangu for police office space declared null and void.

"Papers have already been filed... and we are now waiting for a hearing date," she said in a statement on Tuesday.

"These contracts were entered into before I became minister. Part of the reason it has taken some time to get to the point of filing court papers is because of obstruction I received from within the department, and because I received contradictory legal advice."

She denied signing off on the contract.

"It is important to note that media comments suggesting that these leases cost the South African taxpayers dearly are incorrect.

"We have not paid Mr Shabangu one cent, no work was ever started on the Durban offices and nor have we authorised Mr Shabangu's company to complete any work on the Middestad building."

The minister said some department officials were under investigation.

"We have had the courage to say publicly we have a problem with corruption in the department," Mahlangu-Nkabinde said.

"I cannot be held responsible for what happened before my time, but I can promise that we will get to the bottom of all irregularities."

In a recent report, public protector Thuli Madonsela found the Public Works Department deviated from tender process, that the lease agreements were not at the market rate, and that Shabangu allegedly pressured officials to finalise the deals.

Madonsela's first report, released in February, was on her investigation into the Sanlam-Middestad building in Pretoria, leased for R500-million.

The second report examined the R1.1-billion agreement to lease Transnet Tower in Durban.

Madonsela called on President Jacob Zuma to take action against Mahlangu-Nkabinde, police commissioner Bheki Cele and senior officials involved in the deals.

Last week, presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Zuma took the report seriously, which was why he had decided not make a "hasty or haphazard" decision.