More missing millions

REVAMP OF HISTORIC SITE FOR FREE STATE LEGISLATURE Auditor-general’s office confirms the building is still in an unrenovated state.

The investigation into the Free State’s Old Ramkraal Prison in Bloemfontein is expected to be in the spotlight tomorrow in the provincial legislature. The office of the auditor-general (AG) is expected to brief the joint portfolio committee on public accounts and finance, and that of public works, infrastructure, roads, transport and human settlements, on matters surrounding this historic site.

The provincial government allocated R120 million eight years ago to refurbish the structure to house the Free State legislature.

But the building is still dilapidated with the millions meant to renovate it unaccounted for.

The heritage site project has caused much controversy, with opposition parties in the legislature demanding answers to what happened to the R120 million set aside for the revamp.

The AG’s Aletta van Tromp, in presenting her office’s progress report into the project in June, confirmed that procurement processes had not been followed for the project. The AG’s office was still trying to establish why this historic site was chosen for the construction of a new legislature complex. She also confirmed that the AG’s office received documents from the Free State Heritage Council stating their concern over the planned use of the site and the bad state in which it had been left. Van Tromp said the documents in their possession indicated an expenditure of close to R90 million to date.

She added that some stakeholders in the project were not cooperating and had not submitted all the required documents.

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane recently told OFM News that ANC secretary-general and former Free State premier Ace Magashule and other ANC leaders should be ashamed of the millions already syphoned out of the Free State to enrich the Gupta family.

He said the millions unaccounted for on this project and the Vrede Dairy project showed the province had become a cash cow for the politically connected few. – OFM News

Procurement processes have not been followed