PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma should act against Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde for failing to co-operate with a probe into two controversial police building leases, the Public Protector has recommended.
Advocate Thuli Madonsela said this in her report released yesterday on the lease of Transnet Building in Durban. She said Mahlangu-Nkabinde, pictured, had "failed to meet the requisite stewardship as was expected of her". Mahlangu-Nkabinde's failure to co-operate with the investigation amounted to improper conduct, Madonsela said.
She said the police's attempts to lease the building from property tycoon Roux Shabangu amounted to maladministration.
The failure of national police commissioner General Bheki Cele to ensure that correct tender procedures were followed also amounted to maladministration, she said. The conduct of the department's officials and senior police officials was improper and unlawful.
Madonsela said the Durban lease would have been worth R1,16billion over 10 years. She said the market value of the building meant it should have been leased at R40sq/m and not the R125sq/m agreed on.
Referring to former director general Siviwe Dongwane's claim that he felt pressured to approve the lease, she said she could not find any evidence of this.
Police and Shabangu had denied putting pressure on him, but Madonsela said she was inclined to believe Dongwane because "towards the end of November he changed mysteriously".
Madonsela recommended that urgent steps be taken to "ensure appropriate action was instituted against all the relevant officials of the SAPS that acted in contravention of the law, policy and other prescripts in respect of the procurement processes referred to in this report".
Meanwhile, the DA has called for the dismissal of Cele. "If these are not grounds for the national police commissioner's dismissal, it is hard to imagine what is, and indeed, should the president refuse this request, we believe he would be in breach of his sworn duty to uphold law and order in this land," DA's Dianne Kohler-Barnard said.
Minister acted improperly on police lease deal
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma should act against Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde for failing to co-operate with a probe into two controversial police building leases, the Public Protector has recommended.
Advocate Thuli Madonsela said this in her report released yesterday on the lease of Transnet Building in Durban. She said Mahlangu-Nkabinde, pictured, had "failed to meet the requisite stewardship as was expected of her". Mahlangu-Nkabinde's failure to co-operate with the investigation amounted to improper conduct, Madonsela said.
She said the police's attempts to lease the building from property tycoon Roux Shabangu amounted to maladministration.
The failure of national police commissioner General Bheki Cele to ensure that correct tender procedures were followed also amounted to maladministration, she said. The conduct of the department's officials and senior police officials was improper and unlawful.
Madonsela said the Durban lease would have been worth R1,16billion over 10 years. She said the market value of the building meant it should have been leased at R40sq/m and not the R125sq/m agreed on.
Referring to former director general Siviwe Dongwane's claim that he felt pressured to approve the lease, she said she could not find any evidence of this.
Police and Shabangu had denied putting pressure on him, but Madonsela said she was inclined to believe Dongwane because "towards the end of November he changed mysteriously".
Madonsela recommended that urgent steps be taken to "ensure appropriate action was instituted against all the relevant officials of the SAPS that acted in contravention of the law, policy and other prescripts in respect of the procurement processes referred to in this report".
Meanwhile, the DA has called for the dismissal of Cele. "If these are not grounds for the national police commissioner's dismissal, it is hard to imagine what is, and indeed, should the president refuse this request, we believe he would be in breach of his sworn duty to uphold law and order in this land," DA's Dianne Kohler-Barnard said.
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