Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Public Works on its visit to Parliamentary Villages dated 23 June 2004:
The Ad Hoc Committee on PublicWorks, having undertaken a study tour
to the Parliamentary Villages on June 14, 2004, reports as follows:
a. Introduction
The Committee after being briefed by the Department of Public Works on
the Status of the Parliamentary Villages on 9 June 2004, it visited the
Parliamentary Villages on 14 June 2004 to carry out inspection. The
Committee had to investigate the state of houses, accommodation, security
and related matters and thereafter to make recommendations to the House
and the Department of Public Works. The delegation comprised of the
Chairperson Mr. F Bhengu, Mr. TG Anthony, Mr. Z Kotwal, Mr. LD
Maduma Mr. NE Magubane, Mr. HP Maluleka, Mr. K Moonsamy, Mr. JP
Phungula, Mr. S Siboza (all ANC), Ms N Mdaka (UDM), Mr. J Leburu and
Mr. S Makeleni Support staff, and officials from the Department of Public
Works and Department of Safety and Security (SAPS).
b. Findings
The Committee was informed by the Parks manager that:
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There are 529 dwellings and 96 rooms for domestic workers inAcacia Park Block B. Of these 529 dwellings 60 are bachelor
flats.
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Most of the flats are being renovated and are being changed intotwo bedroom flats.
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Laboria Park has 65 dwellings and 10 domestic rooms andPelican Park have 108 dwellings and 10 domestic rooms.
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There are structural defects on most of the buildings that exposeresidents to safety and health hazard that must be immediately
corrected.
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Members of Parliament are not supposed to occupy the prefabhouses.
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It is evident that the houses are not properly maintained by theDepartment of Public Works
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The outside walls of the flats are prefabricated and the inside ispartitioned with bricks.
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The furniture in the houses is not of a durable quality and as suchhas a short life span. Some of the furniture needs replacement.
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The Committee also learnt that there is not a system in place toevaluate and assess the status of furniture for replacement in
good time.
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The Department of Public Works is busy compiling an audit interms of the allocation of accommodation to members and
sessional staff, the number of tenants that are supposed to occupy
a unit, the number of vacant flats or houses
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The Committee established that the security fence was erected asreported.
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The problems are prevalent in the Parks as a result of poormanagement.
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The Parks Board as defined by the Act was constituted but failedto function.
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The Parks Board does not include Parliament and South AfricanPolice Services as serving members. This contributed to the
dysfunctioning of the Board as these structures worked independently
from one another.
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The Department is in a process of producing access permits forthe dependants of members and domestic workers staying in the
villages, as this will limit the free access in and out of the
villages.
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The CCTV has been installed at the main entrants to register andmonitor the movement in and out of the Parks
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Contract workers commissioned to work in the parliamentaryvillages are screened before they are issued with permits to enter
Parliamentary villages.
The following are the breakdown of size and types of units in the
Parliamentary villages:
Acacia Park A Block
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There are 20 semi-detached two bedroomed brick housesoccupied by sessional officials.
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There are 5 freestanding three bedroomed brick houses occupiedby sessional officials.
Acacia Park B Block
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There are 4 semi-detached two bedroomed brick houses occupiedby sessional officials.
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There is 1 semi-detached three bedroomed brick house and 2three bedroom prefab houses occupied by a sessional official.
Acacia Park C Block
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There are 13 semi-detached two-bedroom brick house occupiedby sessional officials.
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There are 3 semi-detached one-bedroomed brick houses occupiedby sessional officials.
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There is 1 three bedroomed prefab house occupied by sessionalofficial.
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There are semi-detached two bedroomed brick houses houseoccupied by sessional officials.
Acacia Park D Block
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There are 3 two-bedroomed prefab houses occupied by sessionalofficials.
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There are 3 one bedroomed brick house occupied by sessionalofficials
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There are 4 three bedroomed prefab houses occupied bysessional officials
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There are 3 semi-detached three bedroomed brick housesoccupied by sessional officials.
Acacia Park E Block
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There are 34 one bedroomed houses occupied by sessionalofficials.
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There are no sessional officials occupying two or three bedroomhouses on this block.
Laboria Park Parliamentary Village
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There are 3 two bedroomed houses occupied by sessional staff._
There are three bedroomed houses, one occupied by DPWofficial. One by WSP as an office and one by DWP as an office.
Pelican Park Parliamentary Village
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There are 10 one bedroomed houses occupied by sessionalofficials.
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There are 3 three bedroomed houses that are occupied bysessional officials.
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There are 17 two bedroomed houses that are occupied bysessional officials.
The account is made on the houses and flats occupied by officials and
the remaining total is occupied by members
c. Recommendations
The Committee recommends that:
1. The Minister of Public Works must appoint two additional
members. One person from Parliament and one from SAPS to
serve on the Parks Board.
2. The registering and issuing of access permits to dependants of
members and domestic workers must be expedited and finalized
before the end of the third term of Parliament.
3. The administrative staff at the Parks must be increased to meet
the demands of the residents.
4. An audit on the occupancy in the parliamentary villages must be
updated.
5. Building of electric substation in Acacia Park should be
investigated and report be forwarded the Committee.
6. Burglar doors and steel gates must be installed at all the parks.
7. Old water pipes must be replaced with the new ones.
All the above-mentioned recommendations must be implemented within 18
months after this report has been published.