DA wants Lesufi to probe over-budget Tembisa rehab costs

The Gauteng MEC for social development, Faith Mazibuko, has revealed that R34.2m has been spent on the planning phase of the Tembisa Community Care & Rehabilitation Centre and that it had exceeded the budget by R13.7m.

The DA now wants premier Panyaza Lesufi to investigate the matter.

“Heads must roll for this poor financial management affecting service delivery,” said Refiloe Nt’sekhe, the DA’s provincial shadow MEC for social development, who put the questions to Mazibuko in the legislature.

Mazibuko said the R34.2m “has been spent on architectural services, quantity surveying, mechanical engineering, construction project management, and town planning".

“In 2018, the budget was R600,000 and expenditure was R11m. In 2020, the budget was R12.4m and expenditure was R13.7m, [and] there was over over-expenditure of R1.3m. In 2021, the budget was R5m and expenditure was R6.9m.

“In 2022, the budget was R500,000 and was not spent. In 2023, the available budget was R1.9m ...”

Nt’sekhe said that “given the significant shortage of rehabilitation centres and the increasing demand for their services in Gauteng, especially in Tembisa, this situation demonstrates a waste of valuable resources.

“Moreover, this represents a missed opportunity to provide a way out for our people enslaved by drugs, indicating that addressing substance abuse is not a priority ...”

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