R50m civic centre left abandoned in Giyani

The DA in Limpopo has requested the Public Protector, adv Thuli Madonsela's office to institute an investigation into the Giyani Municipality for abandoning the incomplete municipal civic centre that has cost taxpayers R50 million so far.

July 8, 2015

Nyambeni Mandiwana 1 minute read

The abandoned incomplete Giyani Civic Centre.

LIMPOPO – THE DA in Limpopo has requested the Public Protector, adv Thuli Madonsela’s office to institute an investigation into the Giyani Municipality for abandoning the incomplete municipal civic centre that has cost taxpayers R50 million so far.

Richard Shivambu, DA councillor in the Greater Giyani Municipality, said in the 2013/14 financial year, the municipality allocated a staggering R40 million for the extension of the municipal civic centre, but the contractor vanished without completing the project. He said no measures were taken by the municipality to trace and force the contractor to complete the project.

“In the 2014 to 2016 medium term revenue and expenditure approved by council in March 2014, a further R16 million was allocated to complete the project without seeking a comprehensive report regarding the delay to complete the project. The prices were inflated and the remaining tasks to complete the project will not nearly cost that much,” he said.

“Despite the extra R16 million that was allocated to complete the centre, the project has been abandoned for more than eight months now and there are no signs that it will be completed. It is absolutely unacceptable that the municipality can build a multimillion rand building that has no use and fail to complete it on time. It is also clear that their viability was not properly tested before being put out to tender,” he said.

“We are also concerned about the failure of the municipality to appoint a permanent municipal manager and suggest that it refrains from appointing officials in an acting capacity as it hampers the basic services in the municipality. The people of Giyani can no longer continue to suffer while individuals enrich themselves with the municipal coffers instead of accelerating services,” he said.

Spokesperson for the Greater Giyani Municipality, Steve Mavunda, said his seniors were still gathering information about the project and would respond soon.