Presidential imbizo: R30m set aside to get rid of asbestos roofs in Free State

After the botched multimillion asbestos project under former Free State premier Ace Magashule, Human Settlement Minister Mamoloko Kubayi announced a R30 million budget for asbestos eradication in the province.

People from across the province gathered at Dr Petrus Monamela indoor centre in Bloemfontein during the Free State leg of the presidential imbizo on Saturday. President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet listened and responded to community’s concerns.

Residents didn’t hold back as they laid bare the lack of municipal services, corrupt government officials and periodic water and electricity cuts.

Kubayi said government would start fixing the old and dilapidated houses across the Free State townships.

“Human settlements has set aside R30 million as of 1 April to remove asbestos roofs in this province.

“Some of you told us about the old houses from the apartheid era, that project will start as a phased programme to take three years,” she said.

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Not much of asbestos roof eradication took place in the R255 million tender during Magashule’s reign.

A joint venture between Sodi’s Blackhead Consulting and the late Igo Mpambani’s Diamond Hill Trading74 was paid R225 million to conduct the audit.

However, it emerged only R21 million worth of work, which was outsourced to a company with actual experience in the field, was conducted.

The former premier, 10 individuals and five companies face over 70 charges including theft, corruption and money laundering in connection with the asbestos roof removal tender.

The contract is alleged to have been irregularly awarded by the Free State provincial government in 2014 when Magashule was at the helm.

OFM reports that there was tight security on Saturday at the Mangaung venue, with only 2000 people allowed inside in accordance with Covid-19 regulations.

The beleaguered Mangaung metro reportedly cleaned up streets and collected rubbish ahead of the presidential imbizo.

Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told residents that the metro was “messed up.”

“We are all now managing the situation in Mangaung…it is messed up. We took a decision to take over, working together with Treasury and the province to try get things better here.

“I am gonna come back here after Easter to make sure the work gets underway,” she said.

Mangaung has been placed under administration for the third time two days before the imbizo.

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