Africa-Press – South-Africa. Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala has called for an investigation into allegations that government employees are refusing to pay rent for state-owned properties.
He said the “problem was first reported by the public works and roads department in the North West”.
He ordered the department’s property and asset management unit to conduct a countrywide comprehensive analysis of state-owned properties employees occupy to establish if tenants are paying rent.
“We need to establish how widespread this problem is in the country. We take a dim view of such practices of non-payment and illegal occupation of government-owned properties. The revenue from rentals is used for maintenance and renovations of such properties,” he said.
Zikalala added that the probe would look into the amount defaulting tenants owe, how many of the tenants are state employees, and what legal action can be taken.
It will also look into whether some property can be sold to “prevent vandalism and further illegal occupation”.
The probe is one of a number of initiatives “aimed at addressing challenges within the multibillion-rand property portfolio and assets belonging to government”, the minister said.
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