Esidimeni MEC owes R52 000 for state-funded security on private home

9 November 2017

Security upgrades to the private home of former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu have cost the state a total of R356 558, and she has not yet paid R52 558 for exceeding the R200 000 limit during Premier David Makhura's term in office.

This is revealed by Makhura in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Makhura, R104 000 was spent on security upgrades at Mahlangu's private residence from 2009 to 2014, and a further R252 558 thereafter.

Security upgrades are supposed to be done after a threat and risk assessment by the police and funded in line with the Ministerial Handbook.

The cost for security upgrades was fixed by Cabinet at R100 000 in June 2003, with provision to account for inflation, which now amounts to about R200 000.

Makhura has ordered that any MEC whose private residence security upgrades have exceeded R200 000 should pay the difference.

He says that "all the MECs and former MECs whose security upgrades exceeded the R200 000 limit - Qedani Mahlangu, Molebatsi Bopape and Nandi Mayathula-Khoza - have been notified in writing by the Premier about how much they have to pay back within a specified time frame. Some of them have queried the amounts and this is being verified by auditors."

Furthermore, Mahlangu "is awaiting the outcome of the verification process by auditors, which will be completed by 31 October 2017.

It is unclear why Mahlangu had the highest security spend on her house in Bedfordview despite a large amount spent for this purpose during her previous term of office.

She is currently ducking her obligation to appear before the Esidimeni arbitration hearings, and I hope she doesn't try to avoid paying the money she owes to the provincial government.

I will be monitoring the situation with further questions in the Legislature to ensure that she does pay back the money.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 9 November 2017