Tax-payers must cover escalating budget for Palm Springs Multi-purpose centre

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is shocked to learn that the funding that is still required to complete the Palm Springs Multi-purpose centre has tripled to R126 168 959,78 compared to the initial budget of R44 129 510,28.

This was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Lebogang Maile in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

According to MEC Maile, phase one of the project has been completed which includes; construction of different layers of earth materials and installation of stormwater drainage systems. Phase one of this project cost R24 199 592,22 which is more than half of the total cost of the project.

The DA visited the site and discovered that there is no construction that has been done, the site is just an empty piece of ground, yet millions have been spent on this project.

Initially, the project was expected to be completed on 15 June 2018, however, there is no timeline as to when the construction of the project will commence and when it will be completed. The Emfuleni Local Municipality is facing a serious funding shortfall and the project will be funded through Municipal Infrastructure Grant and only after COGTA has approved the funding.

Unnecessary delays in the completion of this project have resulted in sky-rocketing costs that taxpayers are expected to cover.

The amount of R82 039 449,5 that has accumulated could have been used to build two multi-purpose centres for townships in Emfuleni such as Evaton and Bophelong that do not have sporting facilities.

This is unacceptable and its high time that the ANC-led Gauteng government and their municipalities start using taxpayer’s money wisely.

The DA will continue to put pressure on MEC Maile to ensure that this centre is completed, without accruing further costs.

Nothing to show for over R24 million spent on Palm Springs Multi-purpose Centre

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is shocked to discover that there is nothing to show for the R24 199 592,22 spent so far in the construction of the Palm Springs Multi-purpose Centre in the Emfuleni Local Municipality.

There is no construction that has been done, the site is just an empty piece of ground, yet millions have been spent on this project.

See photos here, here, here and here.

According to the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Lebogang Maile two service providers were appointed; Gibb Consulting was appointed on 22 October 2015 and Sedtrade was appointed on 3 March 2017.

MEC Maile was responding to my written questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

The following monies have been paid so far to these service providers; Gibb Consulting was paid R10 925 381,57 and Sedtrade was paid R13 274 210,65, yet there is nothing to show for the work done. The initial budget for this project was R44 129 510,28 and the project was expected to be completed on 15 June 2018.

The fact that more than half of the budget has been spent and construction has not yet started indicates that the project runs the risk of running over budget as a result of these unnecessary delays.

It has now become a norm for the ANC-led Gauteng government to start projects that benefit the community and then fail to complete them.

I will table follow-up questions to MEC Maile to determine what exactly these service providers were paid for and what work have they done, when will this project be completed and how much money is needed to complete this project.

The DA will closely monitor the progress on construction of the multi-purpose centre to ensure that this project is completed on time and within the budget allocation for this project.