R500m police lease – report flawed?

The Public Protector’s report on the R500-million lease of new headquarters for the South African Police Service has been branded as “shallow and superficial” by Public Works Minister, Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde.

She has apparently dismissed the report claiming that it is “filled with inaccuracies, inconsistencies and irregularities”. Thuli Madonsela who compiled the report recommended that the officials responsible for leasing the building should be “rooted out” and disciplinary action taken against them.

Mahlangu-Nkabinde argues that the report failed to delve into the real issues but rather “relied heavily” on another report from legal firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, which had been appointed to investigate the Department of Public Works’ role in the lease agreement.

The Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr report claimed that the property developer, Roux Shabangu was aware that tender procedures had been flouted and recommended that the lease agreement be cancelled. It also recommended that disciplinary action be taken against Public Works’ director-general Sam Vukela.

Meanwhile Mahlangu-Nkabinde has now claimed that she has no record of the legal firm’s appointment to conduct the internal investigation.

She alleges that the department was aware of a meeting between Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr’s suspended director, Siviwe Dongwana and Shabangu where, according to Mahlangu-Nkabine, Shabungu was “offered a monetary settlement by a representative of the legal firm” so that the building could revert to its original owners.

This, she says, confirms the legal firm had an interest in the matter.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary members from across the political spectrum have condemned last week’s unauthorised visit of two senior police investigators to the Public Protector’s office just days after the report into the lease agreement was released.

The report claims, among other things, that the Police Commissioner, Bheki Cele acted unlawfully and inappropriately.

Yesterday Madonsela told the Justice Committee that she was surprised by the unauthorised visit that came at the time when she was conducting her investigation into another lease for offices for the SAPS in Durban.

Madonsela agreed to hand over copies of the documents that had been requested by the investigating officers.

Readers' Comments Have a comment about this article? Email us now.