A rather obscure building known as Maroela House in the high-security Bryntirion Estate – home to many politicians and senior government officials – is set to become a hospital for South Africa’s political elite.
A contract to convert Maroela House into a VIP medical facility has been awarded to Keren Kula Construction. The cost of the refurbishment has not been confirmed and was not published in the Government Tender Bulletin last week.
However the tender documents allocated R62-million to the project. Keren Kula’s group managing director Keren Hofman said she was not able to confirm the costs of the project or any details including when it was due to start and when the work would be completed.
Keren Kula has succeeded in securing a number of lucrative government contracts. These include:
- A contract worth R135-million to refurbish a military base in Mafikeng;
- A R191-million contract to build a new prison in Tzaneen, Limpopo;
- A treatment centre in Polokwane;
- New offices for the Department of Public Works;
- A contract to build a new school in Limpopo.
Ironically a document contained in the national budget does refer to the Maroela House project but states that work on this project actually started more than three months ago.
The document refers to it as “an executive military health facility that will service the President, members of the Cabinet and VIPs from foreign countries”.
According to Cabinet spokesman Jimmy Manyi the medical unit has been operating inside the Bryntirion Estate since 1998 and provides medical support to the President, deputy president and former presidents and deputy presidents. It also treats medical emergencies when necessary.
He says the unit has been housed in a caravan since 2006 when the decision to go ahead with the refurbishment was taken. Maroela House, when complete, will comply with primary healthcare standards such as those in other state-owned facilities around the country.
According to the 2009/2010 annual report of the Department of Defence the facility has provided medical support and healthcare to 1 525 national and international dignatories and VIPs that year (from a caravan?), which was more than double the number expected.
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