Respect the commission, Maile told at heated Alex inquiry

It was heated on Tuesday at the SA Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) Alexandra inquiry when Gauteng human settlements MEC Lebogang Maile testified about the billions of rands meant for the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP) which had gone missing.

This matter is at the centre of several state investigations.

Maile, who said the ARP had implemented eight housing projects in Alexandra producing a total of 14,000 accommodation units, became irritated during questioning when pressed for a breakdown of how the more than R1.3 billion had been spent since the ARP’s inception in 2001.

SAHRC panel chairperson Buang Jones told Maile to be respectful to the commission after he said some of the questions put to him were “irrelevant and uninformed”. Maile refused to apologise or withdraw his statement.

“Don’t intimidate me … some of the questions you ask are irrelevant, but I have been answering,” he said. “You have been sitting in that chair abusing your power. You can’t censor me in the name of the institution …. Should I not have an opinion? When I say misinformed, I mean you don’t have information. What’s wrong with that?”

Asked if the City of Joburg had engaged meaningfully and in good faith with the Alexandra community with a view to finding humane and pragmatic solutions to their service delivery grievances, Maile said his department had no reason to doubt the city. “However, the department acknowledges the city is facing rapid urbanisation in Alex and it creates a service delivery impasse.”

The MEC said the department’s 2019-20 business plan allocated R28 million to complete four projects: R10 million for Nobuhle Hostel; R8 million for Extension 31; R5 million for River Park and R5 million for the Bothlabela FLISP Project.

Other ARP projects undertaken included upgrading bulk infrastructure and building a new water reservoir in Linbro Park and linking it to Alexandra via a new supply line.

– news@citizen.co.za

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