Durban - Newly appointed KwaZulu-Natal Public Works and Human Settlements MEC Sipho “KK” Nkosi said the department has identified a number of buildings that have been hijacked by criminal elements, including foreign nationals.
The MEC also revealed that he had a meeting with members of the ANC uMkhonto We Sizwe Military Veterans Association who expressed a desire to work with the department in reclaiming the hijacked buildings.
While Nkosi could not give stats on the number of hijacked buildings, he said an audit had been done.
“I don’t have that, but Public Works told me the audit was done and I’m waiting for the report from Ms Mncube (a senior department official),” Nkosi said.
The issue of government-owned buildings being used for illegal purposes, including drug trafficking, has been one of the sources of concern for the government, lawmakers and the public.
Nkosi’s undertaking was prompted by a call from the National Freedom Party’s Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) Mbali Shinga for the government to do something about government buildings that were idle, and often used for the wrong purposes.
Speaking during the sitting of the legislature last week, the MPL noted that the KZN population was growing rapidly and needed to get services from the government.
“It seems as if the department is failing in its mandate since we have a number of government buildings and properties that have become white elephants or havens of thugs which are used to terrorise communities,” said the MPL.
She listed a number of properties in Ugu District on the South Coast, which she said were meant to be used to house government employees but had been left unattended and eventually got vandalised.
Nkosi told the sitting that they had formulated a plan to deal with the hijacking of buildings.
“We would like to confirm that we have identified a number of buildings that have been hijacked by criminal elements, especially foreign nationals, and we are busy auditing that,” the MEC said at the sitting. He added that the department, working with other role players, including the police, would be systematic when rolling out the clean-up, and would ensure that once the criminals were removed, the buildings are used for appropriate purposes.
“We are going to start with two buildings in the metro that have been identified by the veterans and move to other parts of the province,” the MEC told the sitting.
One of the MKMVA leaders in KZN, Babsy Sithole, said they were keen to work with the government in ensuring that the government buildings were put to good use.