It s a disgrace : Scopa rebukes De Lille for inaction over Beit Bridge fence
11 May 2021 3:10 PM Beit Bridge beit bridge border fence
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Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said that until proper action was taken, the fence would be a dark cloud hanging over Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille and the department.
CAPE TOWN - Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille has received another rebuke from frustrated parliamentarians for failing to take appropriate action on the Beit Bridge border fence saga.
De Lille on Tuesday returned to finance watchdog Scopa to account for the 40-kilometre-long fence which cost taxpayers R37 million.
The SSA is vetting supply chain management officials in the Department of Public Works.
Vetting of officials started at the department s Bloemfontein office.
The Beitbridge border scandal saw millions wasted on a fence, which was often referred to as a washing line.
The State Security Agency (SSA) is assisting in scrutinising several supply chain management (SCM) officials in the Department of Public Works regarding the Beitbridge border scandal.
The SCM vetting project commenced in the department s Bloemfontein regional office, which involved 54 officials and bid-committee members.
According to Imtiaz Fazel, acting director-general of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), 10 staffers have valid clearances, while 12 top secret files have been completed and sent to the SSA for further handling.
Supplied
People started occupying unused forestry land near Grabouw in March.
The Department of Public Works and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries were granted an interdict by the Western Cape High Court last month.
The public works department is the custodian of the land, while the DEFF was allocated the property for plantation purposes.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille visited Grabouw on Sunday to try and resolve an occupation on state-owned forest land.
The engagement with the occupiers comes after her department and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) were granted an interdict by the Western Cape High Court last month, preventing community members from coming onto the land.
South Africa - Cape Town - 7 April 2021 - The Minister of Police Bheki Cele welcomed 197 Police members during a parade held at 35 Squadron in Delft. These officers will assist the police to combat crime in various parts of the province. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency(ANA)
More than 2 000 reservists undergo training as SAPS recruits
By Mayibongwe Maqhina
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Cape Town - The SAPS has revealed that more than 2 000 reservists are currently undergoing training as new recruits in one of the police training colleges.
“We have 2 469 reservists that undergo training at a college which started on April 12 this year,” deputy police commissioner Francinah Vuma said on Tuesday.
Intruder alarms at parliamentary villages not working after R32m spent
By Mayibongwe Maqhina
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Cape Town - Despite upgrading the access control to three parliamentary villages from MPs to the tune of R32 million six years ago, it has emerged that not all intruder alarms transmit signal to the police.
This was revealed by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille when she was responding in writing to parliamentary questions from DA MP Madeleine Hicklin.
This happened as the department has put the blame squarely on the SAPS Rondebosch static protection service for not relaying signals from intruder alarms to its site office at Groote Schuur Estate.