MEC rejects claims of Alex malfeasance
R1.6bn allegedly misappropriated
GAUTENG Human Settlements and Cogta MEC Lebogang Maile has dismissed allegations that ANC politicians had misappropriated R1.6 billion meant for the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP) without any work being done.
The project was announced in 2001 by then president Thabo Mbeki as part of urban renewal initiatives across the country, but key politically connected figures, including Maile’s brother, Mike Maile, have been accused of embezzling funds meant for houses and bulk infrastructure for the people of Alexandra.
Maile said the accusations were being widely spread without any evidence, adding that the provincial government was able to account for money spent on the project, of which Mike Maile was a project manager between 2003 and 2004. “The ARP budget was estimated to be R1.3bn for over a period of seven years.
“It should be stated that the said R1.3bn was never a ring-fenced amount where a particular individual or official was responsible. This amount was a total sum of contributions that were going to be made by all spheres of government as well as by all provincial departments,” Maile said.
He said those who managed the project did not personally handle the funds as respective government spheres and departments were responsible for handling projects they initiated as part of contributing to the ARP.
“Departments and the City of Johannesburg were expected to come up with projects that they, within their mandate and capacities, were going to implement,” Maile said.
The EFF and the DA have accused ANC leaders in the province of corruption, saying they were behind the alleged looting of the ARP funds.
Maile said a lot of work had been done through the ARP for the residents of the township, which is considered one of the country’s poorest and most densely populated.
“Through the records at our disposal, the ARP has delivered a number of projects ranging from housing projects to bulk infrastructure to social infrastructure,” he said. These included extensions 7 and 8 in Far East Bank in the township, where 1 700 and 181 units had been built, respectively.
Maile said the ARP had also overseen the construction of 840 double storey units and 1 424 double storey semi-detached housing with two rental rooms, which were constructed between 2009 and 2011.
He said spheres of government had spent R1.4bn of the ARP with the provincial human settlements contributing R600 million, the City of Johannesburg R463m, the Municipal Infrastructure Grant R173m, the Human Settlement Fund R88m, Economic Development R15m and Transport R109m. “This demonstration, it buries the falsehood that has been spread by many political figures that the ARP funds were misappropriated to benefit certain politically connected individuals and families,” Maile said.