Taxpayers coughed up R 1.1 billion for new Mpumalanga High Court
This was announced by the minister last week.
MBOMBELA – When the Mpumalanga High Court building finally opens in April, it will have cost the taxpayer approximately R1,1 billion, almost double the original estimate.
Minister of justice and correctional services, Adv Michael Masutha visited the court on Thursday.
“We are hoping to move in by the middle of March and that the court will open on April 1 when the new financial year commences,”
Masutha told Lowvelder in an exclusive interview.
Originally R600 million was budgeted to complete the court, R500 million less than the final project. Masutha largely attributed these escalated costs to the additional time needed to complete the project.
The project started in October 2013 and was supposed to be completed by October 2015.
Lowvelder previously reported that last March the completion date of the court was set to October 3, 2018, but in September it was moved to December 10 and by January it had reached practical completion.
TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE COURT HERE: EXCLUSIVE: Sneak peak inside the Mpumalanga High Court
Masutha blamed structural and operational issues and and geographical issues that were not a part of the original budget.
“When I visited the site in 2014/15, it was found that geologically the court was going to be built on big rock,” Masutha said. This led to additional time and costs. “But on the bright side, the building is sitting solidly on a rock.”
According to him design issues and operational issues regarding construction also led to additional costs and time restraints.
“At times there were falling-outs between parties caused by cost overruns.”
The approach they first adopted was to work directly with the Independent Development Trust (IDT), the implementing agent of the project.
Masutha said that they realised, when they were already busy with construction, the challenges when passing the Department of Public Works.
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“The IDT hands over a project, but we realised that public works stay on for the life of the structure. They will be handling the maintenance on the building not only during construction but also when it comes to an end,”
Masutha said.
According to Masutha, he recently had a meeting with the minister of public works, Thulas Nxesi, to ensure a better relationship between the two entities when it comes to maintenance of courts across the country.
Masutha also addressed the controversy regarding the entrance and exit of the court premises.
When visiting the court in January, Lowvelder was told by IDT spokesman, Lesego Mashigo that when the contract is handed over it will make provision for an alternative entrance through the TVET College side of the court, “although there is no timeline for this”.
It was originally decided that the main entrance and exit would be from Samora Machel, however Masutha confirmed that this entrance will only be used while the other entrance is still under construction.
“The entrance through the side of the TVET college will be the main entrance. The land belongs to the college and they felt that sufficient negotiations did not take place,”
Masutha said and added that they have since reached an agreement.
The privately owned office building adjacent to the court is expected to be completed by May 1.
