#ParksidePalace: R32 million to upgrade Premier’s palace
A parliamentary reply to the Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has revealed that the official residence of Premier Willies Mchunu, Parkside Residence in Pietermaritzburg, is currently undergoing unnecessary renovations to the value of a staggering R32 million.
According to the 18 October response from the Office of the Premier and signed by Premier Mchunu, the upgrades include;
Renovations to the swimming pool surrounding area including the paving and braai area to the value of R1 010000;
The upgrading of three bathrooms at a cost of R540000; and
Repairs to electrical light fittings to the value of R180000.
The work will be done by the province’s Public Works Department, which has already completed the upgrade of the bathrooms. It has undertaken to complete all other work by 2023. The time frame alone also means that the upgrade costs are likely to spiral.
Meanwhile, the same reply also reveals that the monthly running costs for the property includes a garden service fee of R15 960 and a water and electricity bill of R10 000.
While the Premier’s Office has confirmed that the expenditure has been budgeted for under Vote 1, the fact remains that such runaway expenditure is a slap in the face of every person in our province struggling to make ends meet. In particular it is a blow for those who are currently homeless or who have been living in transit camps for years as they wait for low cost government housing.
With KZN’s current massive housing backlog every cent counts and the R32 million allocated to upgrade the Premier’s residence could have built more than 300 low cost housing units. In short, it could have given at least 300 families some dignity and hope.
The Premier’s residence seems to be an ongoing drain on the province’s coffers. Research conducted by the DA has revealed that Amafa advertised a tender in 2013 for work at Parkside which in fact included bathroom renovations and an electrical upgrade. Other renovations advertised at the time included;
Repairs to main house roof;
Replacing of thatch on cottage roof;
Upgrade to air-conditioning installation;
Bedroom cupboard replacement; and
Kitchen upgrade
The DA will request further information on what appears to be a duplication of certain projects. We are also well aware that the Premier’s reply only accounts for around R2 million of a total R32 million and we will demand further answers from the Premier’s Office in this regard.
Come 2019 the ANC will be punished for what is clearly the ongoing abuse of the people’s money for its own benefit. The people of KZN deserve better.
Statement issued by Sizwe Mchunu MPL, DA KZN Spokesperson on Public Works, 20 October 2017
