'Hugely inflated prices': Sihle Zikalala decries cost of ministerial home upgrades

Unscrupulous service providers, not public officials, are to blame for irregular expenditure on state-owned properties, insists public works and infrastructure minister Sihle Zikalala.

Zikalala, speaking ahead of his budget vote presentation to parliament on Tuesday afternoon, echoed what he told the Sunday Times at the weekend about launching an inquiry into “hugely inflated prices”. The publication revealed that his department had spent R93m on “luxuries” at ministerial homes.

The government spent almost R400,000 on pest control at one minister's house in just three months as part of the R93m splurge — at taxpayers’ expense — on sprucing up cabinet members' official residences between 2019 and 2022.

Zikalala said on Tuesday that procurement practices would be investigated with a view to rooting out wrongdoing. The government would also review its controversial prestige projects programme which handles renovations to ministerial homes.

“We are decrying exorbitant amounts of money that are being charged by some service providers for maintenance projects in state properties,” he said.

“We are determined to get to the bottom of these charges and fully understand how they were arrived at. We are launching an investigation into the procurement practices and this must extend to the service providers that rendered these services.

“The recent episodes of these transactions puts a stain on the public representatives as they are excluded by law from engaging in procurement matters,” he added.

Answering questions in a pre-budget media briefing, Zikalala said public servants should not be held responsible for system failures in relation to government accommodation. “It is not correct to create an impression that members of the executive on their own demand these facilities,” he said.

Conversely it appeared some service providers were seeking “to enrich themselves and charge the government exorbitant prices”, he added.

His comments follow years of criticism of the government’s prestige programme for executive properties, which critics say is unaffordable and unfair in the context of widespread unemployment and poverty.

Addressing the prestige programme specifically, Zikalala conceded there were challenges.

“Going forward we will be submitting recommendations to the structures of government to address the challenges associated with this programme and make it less costly and more affordable. We are committed to stem any perception of wrongdoing associated with the maintenance of state properties.” 

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