Question NW4116 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
12 December 2023 - NW4116
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
What (a) is the (i) total amount that was budgeted for the Gallery of Leaders Exhibition Project and (ii) are the details of any additional amounts that have been allocated for the project, (b) was the commencement date for the project, (c) are the reasons that the project has not been completed yet and (d) is the time frame for completion of the project?
Reply:
a(i). A total of R25 million was allocated to the project.
(ii). To date, R15.2 million has been spent on the project. This represents 60.8% of the R25 million budget allocation. It is projected that there will be savings at the completion of the project, due to the fact that the project is already about 80% complete and only approximately 20% of project works remains to be completed with the remaining funds.
(b). The first set of service providers were appointed in November 2020.
(c). The spread of Covid-19 and resultant lockdown restrictions led to disruptions to the initial schedules. In addition, the specifications for the project had to be adjusted and fine-tuned, due mainly to the fact that this is a novel project that requires innovation and adaptability.
(d). The project is currently under way and scheduled for completion in the current financial year. The adjusted practical completion deadline is the end of January 2024, with February and March being set aside to deal with refinements, therefore it should be complete by the end of March 2024.