Question NW355 to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
19 March 2020 - NW355
Graham-Maré, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
(1)Whether her department has a valid lease agreement with the SA Police Service (SAPS) for Excelsior Court, 97 Peter Mokaba Drive, Berea; if not, by what date will her department start with (a) evictions and (b) the renovations of the property; if so, (i) what steps is her department going to take to ensure that the SAPS meets its obligations in terms of evicting all tenants, rehousing the SAPS personnel and allowing her department to start renovating according to the decision taken in 2010-11 and (ii) on what date is it envisaged that the SAPS will meet the specified obligations; (2) does the SAPS pay rent to her department; if so, what is the (a) rental amount and (b) total amount that the SAPS owes in arrears?
Reply:
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
1. The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) informed me that DPWI has no lease agreement with South African Police Services (SAPS) for Excelsior Court, 97 Peter Mokaba Drive, Berea. However, the relationship is managed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the entire state-owned asset portfolio which is allocated to SAPS. The MOU was duly signed by the Accounting Officers of both departments on 31 January 2006.
(a) SAPS, as an end-user, is responsible for the eviction and has reported to have initiated the eviction process.
(b) The renovations of the property is still pending the finalisation of the eviction process by SAPS and property being handed back to DPWI to commence with renovations. (i) There has been continuous high-level engagements between DPWI and SAPS which resulted in SAPS commencing with the evictions process. (ii) The finalisation of the eviction process is depended on the conclusion of the litigation process.
2. SAPS pays accommodation charges for the entire portfolio as per the 2006 devolution with an annual amount of R1 397 874 000.00 in the 2019/20 financial year. SAPS does not owe the DPWI on accommodation charges.