Millions spent to upgrade presidential houses

THE government has splurged nearly R8 million to renovate the official houses of President Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy, David Mabuza.

This emerged in a written parliamentary reply from Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi to a parliamentary question from the EFF’s Leigh-Ann Mathys.

Nxesi said Ramaphosa took over from Jacob Zuma in February to find the Mahlamba Ndlopfu official residence in Pretoria with a leaking roof and a faulty electricity and security system.

Mabuza, too, found his official residence, the Oliver Tambo House, with security and electrical problems.

Mathys had enquired about the amount spent by the Public Works Department on the upgrades to the homes of Ramaphosa and Mabuza since they took office.

In his reply, Nxesi said more than R8m was spent to refurbish the official residences of Ramaphosa and Mabuza.

He said the repairs made at the Mahlamba Ndlopfu official residence included a leaking roof, gutters and downpipes.

Nxesi said it also needed paintwork to the interior and exterior walls.

The repairs on paintwork, he said, extended to areas where water damage was identified, as well as “ailing” existing plumbing systems.

Nxesi said the faulty electrical systems, including the existing security system, were also repaired.

“The total cost for the repairs was R7 314 514,48, he said.

Nxesi hastened to say that “no works were registered for the Cape Town presidential residence”.

He revealed that the department had conducted repairs to the existing security system, including the faulty electrical system, at Mabuza’s Oliver Tambo official residence.

“The cost of the repairs amounted to R856 000. No works were registered at the Cape Town official residence of the deputy president,” Nxesi said.

Mathys did not immediately comment, but referred questions to EFF communications manager Sixolise Gcilishe, who could not be reached for comment.

The renovations come months after the Public Works Department blew R10m on revamping the JL Dube presidential house in Durban, which was condemned as unfit for habitation in 2016.

In 2014, Nxesi’s predecessor, Nkosinathi Nhleko, said in a written reply to a parliamentary question that R586 854 was spent on refurbishments at Mahlamba Ndlopfu in Pretoria in 2010/11.

A total of R312 263 was spent on refurbishments at Oliver Tambo House in 2011/12 and a further R296 063 in 2013/14.

In 2011, former public works minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde halted upgrades to the presidential homes and offices, as well as to the Bryntirion Estate in Pretoria, after it emerged that they would cost about R400m.