Gauteng’s top brass are being flushed out again for misappropriation of taxpayers’ money. This time it’s totalling a little over R12 million since 2005 on lavish refurbishments and renovations to the official Bryanston residence of the Gauteng Premier.

Very little reading between the lines is necessary to fully appreciate where DA caucus leader Jack Bloom is coming from on this one.

Jack has been on about totalising the monies spent on the lavish residence at 77 Eccleston Crescent in upmarket Sandton since before September last year. This was when the first reports about his inquests into the frivolous spending surfaced.

Jack explains where the 12.2 million has gone from the answers he received recently from Gauteng Infrastructure MEC Bheki Nkosi:

Most of this seems utterly wasteful and very poor value for money. R8.4 million was spent under former premier Mbhazima Shilowa for renovations and alterations of the main house, conference facilities and the parking area.

Although he never lived there, R1 745 000 was spent during Paul Mashatile’s short premiership supposedly to repair structural damage, although the department says that it does not have a copy of the consulting engineers’ report which is rather fishy.

As if that wasn’t enough, everyone’s favourite Gauteng Premier, Nomvula Mokonyane, blinged herself out too last year:

Mokonyane spent R2 072 000 on yet more refurbishment, including the main bedroom and kitchen, yet more repainting, and new furniture and curtains.

Rest assured though, Jack is taking this to the Public Protector for further investigation now that it’s been revealed that Mashatile’s renovations didn’t even go out for tender.

Naughty.

[Source: Politicsweb]

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