Department of Justice wastes R68m on rent

The Department of Justice has wasted nearly R68-million on rent and paying for security services for an empty building in Pretoria that it wants to use as its head office.

The revelation was made by Justice Minister Jeff Radebe in reply to a parliamentary question yesterday.

Radebe said that his department, through the Department of Public Works, had leased the 29000m² building in Schoeman Street for R3.6-million a month, paid since January last year.

It has also paid R150 000 since April for day and night security services.

A security tender was also awarded to six companies to provide 11 security guards for six day shifts and six night shifts at a total cost of R171000 a month.

Delays in occupying the premises, however, led to security services not being provided until April. About R150000 has been paid so far for this service.

Radebe said in his reply that his department was yet to take occupation of the building - 18 months after it was leased.

"My department has not taken occupation of the premises yet as we are busy with the required tenant installations.

"All sections will have relocated to the premises by November 30 2011," he said.

Radebe's spokesman, Tlali Tlali, said his department was not responsible for paying for the lease .

"The line function department responsible for the procurement process and payment of accommodation space for government departments is Public Works," said Tlali.

"The Department of Justice is not paying rent here, but Public Works is," he said.

Department of Public Works spokesman Thami Mchunu failed to respond to questions e-mailed to him yesterday.

Public Works normally leases buildings on behalf of client departments and then claims back the money paid in rent and other costs from those departments.

DA MP Debbie Schafer, who asked the parliamentary question, said it was "ridiculous that they are spending R3.6-million a month on an empty building ."

She intends asking the Auditor-General to investigate the lease and possibly declare it wasteful expenditure.

"It has been 19 months since they entered into the lease agreement in January last year and they have yet to move in. Surely it cannot take that long to move into a building," she said.

The latest property-related embarrassment for the government comes hot on the heels of the scandal involving national police commissioner Bheki Cele and two buildings, one in Pretoria and one in Durban, would have been leased at a cost of more than R1-billion.

The buildings were to have beeen leased at "inflated rates" from property tycoon Roux Shabangu, who is said to enjoy a friendship with President Jacob Zuma.

The president's office on Tuesday denied the friendship.

The police lease fiasco has landed Cele and Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde in hot water after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found them guilty of unlawful and improper conduct.

Madonsela has recommended that Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa take action against Cele.

Madonsela also asked Zuma to act against Mahlangu-Nkabinde.

She released her report more than two weeks ago.

But neither Zuma nor Mthethwa has acted on Madonsela's recommendations.

Zuma has said that he is studying the report.

Schafer also took aim at Zuma, slamming him for taking too long to act on the report.

"South Africa needs to hear what the president is going to do about the [Public Protector's] report.

"The fact that it is taking five weeks to process is inexplicable and does nothing to convince us that he is serious about government accountability," she said.

Mac Maharaj, Zuma's spokesman, said the president had noted the concerns that he was taking too long to act on Madonsela's recommendations.

He attributed the delay to consultations that Zuma had been having with both Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Mthethwa to obtain information about the police leases.