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Solidarity welcomes the intention of the new Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, to find out what is what with regard to the derelict state of the South African Police Service (SAPS) head office building in Pretoria. 

Macpherson and Pretoria’s mayor, Cilliers Brink, today visited the Telkom Towers building, which was bought and renovated by the Department of Public Works for almost R900 million eight years ago. After that, they addressed the media.

There were also representatives of Solidarity.

Six months ago, this huge building had to be evacuated in haste after Solidarity responded to complaints from members of the SAPS and consequently demanded an inspection by the Department of Employment and Labour.
The building was then declared unfit for human occupation. 

According to Johan Böning, head of occupational health and safety at Solidarity, the building has not been in regular use since then, and SAPS members are now scattered all over and housed in other buildings, while some apparently have no office space and therefore they have to stay at home.

Minister Macpherson told the media he is going to ask for an investigation, and he believes that the question should be asked whether it was at all necessary to purchase the premises for such a large sum at the time.

Böning said he was impressed that Minister Macpherson was able to find the time to visit the SAPS building so soon after his appointment to this important portfolio.

“Hopefully the new minister is here to bring change. Like him, we also want to know what irregularities took place here and who should be held responsible for it all.

“Apparently very little, if any, renovation has been done at Telkom Towers since the building was vacated in February. We as the public will only be able to expect better service from SAPS members if they also feel their own workplace is safe and neat,” Böning said. 

Solidarity is also aware of other SAPS sites that have been badly neglected, and we have asked the minister to pay attention to them as well.

Issued by Solidarity