Johannesburg – The process of appointing a service provider to clean-up Gauteng’s asset register is at an advanced stage.
Gauteng’s Infrastructure Development MEC Qedani Mahlangu said R30 million has been allocated towards ensuring that the management of the province’s property portfolio is improved.
Delivering her department’s Budget Vote on Thursday, Mahlangu said: “Our commitment is to finally move this department to a point where it has a complete, up-to-date and credible asset register with quality data on the location, state, occupancy status and use of all government assets.”
Mahlangu’s announcement comes not long after the Gauteng Legislature’s portfolio committee on infrastructure development raised concerns that the department’s asset register was a mess.
In its recent register, the department could only account for 9 800 of the 29 000 buildings that were under its watch.
Mahlangu said the asset registry backlog would soon be cleaned up.
“The process of contracting a service provider to produce a definitive asset register is at an advanced stage in our supply chain management processes,” she said.
She said the department would also burn the midnight oil to ensure that the management of the state’s property portfolio is improved.
In March, Mahlangu invited government officials and politicians, who were tenants in state residential and commercial property currently not paying market related rentals, to approach the department’s Corner House Headquarters in Johannesburg to rectify their leases.
Mahlangu said the grace period had expired, and she would act “unapologetically” against those who showed non-compliance.
“[We will start] with more than 50 Department of Infrastructure Development officials and hundreds of Gauteng Provincial Government officials living in state buildings and not paying market related rentals.
“Our immediate actions will include naming and shaming such government officials, as well as instituting legal action to evict them from these properties,” she said.
New schools, heritage projects to be completed
Mahlangu also said that in the 2013/14 financial year, her department would build 14 schools around Gauteng, which includes 13 Grade R classes.
“Since November last year, there are nine schools that are currently under construction across the province.
“The schools are at different stages of construction and I am confident that all of them will be completed and ready to be occupied by the end of June,” she said.
On other projects, Mahlangu said her department was on track to finish the construction of the June 16 memorial in Soweto, which she said would be completed in time for this year’s Youth Day celebrations. – SAnews.gov.za
