This historic site was allocated R120 million eight years ago for refurbishments by the provincial government to house the Free State Legislature, but to date, the project stands dilapidated with millions unaccounted for. The AG’s Odwa Duda, during a meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts and Finance, including that of Public Works, Infrastructure, Roads, Transport and Human Settlements, revealed that no feasibility study, which is one of the prerequisites for projects, was carried out prior to the spending of R61 million on the project.

Consultants in this project were appointed without proper procurement processes and no service level agreements were signed between the Department of Public Works and the consultants. It has also come to light that the former minister of Public Works never provided an approval for the use of the building and that the site was never transferred by the National Department of Public Works to the Free State government.

Meanwhile, the DA’s leader in the Provincial Legislature, Roy Jankielsohn, has in a statement said the lack of evidence to prove where the spent money was applied, is an indication that the Provincial Government and the Legislature never intended to build the new legislature complex.

He adds that the appointment of TKDS Consulting, Babareki Consulting Engineers, Ingcali Consulting Engineers and Rubiquant Quantity Surveyors without meeting the necessary criteria further poses more questions regarding the ANC-led government.

This, as the AG stated that they could not find evidence that the transactional advisor’s (TKDS) development and implementation of a procurement plan were carried out, even though payment was made for these services amounting to R2.5 million.

The company that was appointed to demolish the old building structure and construct a security fence, the SA Demolishers, was paid over R6.4 million although they did not meet the requirements.

Jankielsohn has further stated that politicians involved in this project as well as those involved in the other controversial Vrede Dairy Project must be held accountable.

OFM News