Silence surrounds the details of the relocation of the Premier’s Office from the JW Sauer building to the Derek Corns building in Memorial Road in Kimberley.
SILENCE surrounds the details of the relocation of the Premier’s Office from the JW Sauer building to the Derek Corns building in Memorial Road in Kimberley.
Staff from IT, as well as the office for Youth, Women, Children, Disability, Communication and e-Government, apparently moved into the new premises this month.
Kimberley resident Pakes Dikgetsi and the DA have requested the Office of the Premier to provide information about the lease, without any responses being forthcoming.
Dikgetsi indicated that he would lay criminal charges as well as complaints with the Special Investigating Unit and the Public Protector for investigation.
“According to reliable sources a 10-year lease was signed, whereas government leases are supposed to be renewed every five years. Who are the real owners of the building, who are the sleeping partners and who is the sub-letter? It appears to be Trifecta number two in the making,” said Dikgetsi.
Dikgetsi submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to the Office of the Premier on May 11, to disclose details regarding the lease.
“Up until today I have not received any feedback including the available budget for the current and new lease, the tender advertisement, the signed lease agreement entered into between the Office of the Premier and the service provider, the minutes of the bid adjudication committee and the internal memorandum that motivated the relocation.”
He indicated that the Office of the Premier informed him that he was “not entitled” to the information requested in his PAIA application and advised that the request would be transferred to the Department of Roads and Public Works – as the “custodian of government immovable assets”.
“Only government buildings are recorded in the asset registry and not private buildings.”
Dikgetsi pointed out that the budget for operating leases in the Office of the Premier escalated from R19 million in the previous financial year to R22 million for the 2022/23 financial year.
“This is while funds are being diverted away from projects to fund the lease. Quotes from rental agents indicate that the market-related price for rentals in that area are between R245 to R400 per square metre. The previous tenants (Eskom) vacated the building as the rentals exceed R1 million per month.”
The DA also submitted questions regarding the relocation through the Northern Cape provincial legislature for written reply, but have not received any response.
It was indicated that the Office of the Premier was evasive over questions posed during a committee meeting.
Media enquiries sent to the Office of the Premier as well as the Department of Roads and Public Works were also not responded to.
