Question NW1780 to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
03 September 2021 - NW1780
Van Staden, Mr PA to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
(1)What responsibilities has she taken with regard to (a) the Beitbridge and Kosi Bay Border projects, (b) the procurement of quarantine facilities and (c) her department’s alleged exploitation of section 27(2)(L) of the Disaster Management Act, Act 57 of 2002;
Reply:
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
(1)
(a) With regards to the Beitbridge Border project, consequence management is in the process of being carried out against implicated officials.The remaining 11 officials have been served with charges and disciplinary hearings are underway. Progress on the process is reported to SCOPA and the Portfolio Committee of Public Works and Infrastructure on a regular basis.
With regards to the Kosi Bay border project, the KZN Department of Transport (DoT) initiated and commenced the construction of the Jersey barrier border on 10 August 2018 without priorconsultation nor any protocol or agreement being in place with DPWI as the custodian of border infrastructure.
I am informed that the acting Director-General of DPWI has since sanctioned the development of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the KZN DoT to regularise the construction of Phase 1 of the barrier wall and to record the terms and conditions which govern the cooperation between the Departments. The Department has concluded the finalization of the MOA and submitted the MOA to the KZN DoT for consideration. The Accounting Officer has further requested that the KZN DoT stops all construction on the barrier wall until all conditions are met and the MOA is finalised.
(b) The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure is mandated by the regulations issued in terms of Section 27 (2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 to make available sites to be used as isolation and quarantine facilities as the need arises. The Regulations further grant the MEC and Municipal Managers the same responsibility in their spheres of Government. The mandate is informed by the custodial responsibility that the Minister, MEC and Municipal Managers have state-owned properties in their respective immovable asset registers within their different spheres of Government.
In order to give effect to the mandate, the Minister signed a protocol document on the 10th May 2020 which was followed by Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), signed by the Accounting Officer on 15th May 2020, setting out the activities to be performed by officials with regard to site identification, approvals, procurement, preparationsand payments of invoices.
(c) As indicated above.
(2) No