Question NW332 to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

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08 March 2021 - NW332

Profile picture: Graham, Ms SJ

Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

(1)What progress has been made on the sourcing of accommodation for the Detectives Branch of the Florida SA Police Services; (2) whether he has found that there will be sufficient floor space on-site to ensure that the Detectives Branch can function optimally; if not, what buildings have been identified as suitable for the needs of the Detective Branch; if so, what (a) plans have been made in respect of suitable structures to be erected and (b) impact will it have on existing structures; (3) whether there are buildings that have been identified off-site for the needs of the Detective branch; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) is there (i) sufficient floor area and (ii) secure parking in the identified buildings and (b) are the identified buildings safe for members of the public to access the detectives; (4) whether the identified buildings will require refurbishment prior to uptake; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case; (5) (a) what are the time frames for the finalisation of the specified process and (b) for what period is the current resolution envisaged to be utilised?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

1. I have been informed by the Department that no alternative accommodation has been acquired for Florida Detectives as yet due to non-responsive bids. There has been a joint walkabout between SAPS and DPWI to physically look for suitable accommodation in Florida and a suitable building was identified on corners of Jan Smuts and Jan Hofmeyer Avenue.

2. There have been investigations to establish whether (a) temporary structures can be placed on site at the current Florida police station site and (b) these have revealed that the available space will not be enough to accommodate the ± 500m² accommodation requirement for the detectives so the plan to continue with placement of temporary structures on site has been placed on hold.

3. (a) A suitable building has been identified on the corner of Jan Smuts and Jan Hofmeyer Avenue in Florida. (i) The building was identified by the Detectives Unit Commander for Florida detectives and it was established through a site inspection that there is enough floor space to accommodate the detectives’ current space requirements and also, enough space for future use should the need arise. This building is situated approximately 2km’s away from Florida police station and according to the Detective’s Unit Commander, will not cause much of an inconvenience in terms of their operations. (ii) The building has enough parking on site with parking bays available both underground and above ground (uncovered) at the identified premises.

(b) The condition of the building is fairly satisfactory and allows for easy implementation of access control to keep members and the public safe from any Occupational Health and Safety hazards.

4. The identified building will not require any refurbishment prior to uptake except for installation of IT and telephone lines which will be the responsibility of the tenant (SAPS).

5. (a) At the moment, it is difficult to determine how long the process of finalising this acquisition will take since SAPS has been requested to submit documentation to support a motivation to National Treasury for their accommodation to be procured on a negotiated process since previous open procurement strategies have not been successful.

(b) SAPS is intending for this facility to be leased for an initial period of 5 years whilst a long term property solution is being investigated.

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