During a recent oversight visit to the National Assembly Building's reconstruction, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, instructed the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to provide his office with bi-weekly progress reports and a monthly cost schedule.
According to Macpherson, these updates will be shared with the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure to ensure transparency and hold contractors accountable to time-lines and budgets.
Macpherson expressed his deep concern about the state of the National Assembly, saying: “As someone who called the National Assembly his office for more than 10 years, it is simply heartbreaking to see what has happened to this keystone of our democracy.
Parts of the Parliamentary Precinct were gutted in a fire in the early hours of January 2, 2022.
“We know now that the devastation was partly caused as a result of poor maintenance over many years, and we need to ensure that such a disaster does not take place ever again,’’ he said.
The minister emphasised the need for his active involvement in the reconstruction to ensure the project is completed efficiently.
“The reconstruction of the National Assembly buildings should be moving much faster to avoid any further delay, and therefore additional oversight should be welcomed. We simply cannot wait any longer,” he stated.
Following his visit, Macpherson met with National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to discuss progress and strategies to expedite the reconstruction.
He highlighted the importance of increased oversight to prevent the misuse of public funds and urged the public to report any corruption allegations to his office for further investigation.
“We have to work together to rebuild the National Assembly building in such a manner that it is protected from future disasters such as fires and theft, while at the same time making it more accessible to the public to learn about this important institution.
“The reconstruction of the National Assembly needs to honour our past while it looks to the future to stand as a testament to the strength of democracy,” Macpherson concluded.
IOL