1. PURPOSE

To brief the Ad hoc Committee on Public Works regarding the intervention strategies at the Parliamentary Villages on the issues as identified at the meeting held on the 2^nd June 2004 with the Director General of Public Works.

2. BACKGROUND

During the above mentioned meeting the members of the committee requested clarification on the following issues;

• The approach to general cleaning at the Parks.
• Day - to - Day maintenance at the Park
• Preventative Maintenance Plans for the Parks
• Long-term plans with the prefab units in Acacia Park
• The current status of illegal occupants

Below follows a disposition of the issues raised in item 2

3.1 WSP SIDIBENE FACILITY MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND THERE

ROLE AT THE PARLIAMENTARY VILLAGES

• The Minister in her recent budget speech mentioned that the Department has entered into a contract with WSP Sidibene Facilities Management Company.
• The contract is extensive and covers all Prestige Accommodation maintenance in all three Parliamentary Villages, Parliamentary Precinct and Ministerial Houses.
• Their service in terms of the contract includes planned maintenance, gardening and day to day repairs.
• The first three months of the contract afforded the contractor the opportunity to do a condition survey and familiarize themselves with the extent of the contract.
• In order to achieve this each building was inspected and a point of 0-5 was allocated per building, reflecting the condition, taking into account components such as electricity, plumbing, building condition external and internal.
• As this was completed, a Portfolio Management Plan covering the whole portfolio was developed and completed.

3.2 WSP AND DAY - TO - DAY MAINTENANCE

Tenants contact the DPW office for both regular and after hours emergency call-outs for maintenance or support. DPW office in turn contacts the Contractor. Response to service calls is on a 24 hours/day, 365 days/year basis. A "response" is considered to be when the Contractor has contacted the location identified in the service call and has commenced the investigation of the request or complaint. The Service Call will be considered "closed" when National Service Call Centre has been notified that the request has been satisfied or rejected for good cause, or the deficiency has been rectified.

• Emergency: a deficiency or breakdown that requires immediate attention to reduce the potential for danger to occupants, the general public, the environment, or the facility;
• Urgent: a deficiency or breakdown that requires attention to reduce the potential for danger to occupants, the general public, the environment or the facility.
• Routine: a deficiency or breakdown that does not impair current operations or pose any danger to the occupants, the general public, the environment, or the facility.
• Low priority: a deficiency which does not pose any immediate risk to the facility, its systems, its equipment or its occupants and can be included where possible with other planned maintenance and repair work.

3.3 WSP AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

After the condition survey was conducted an Annual Building Plan was compiled for each Park and this plan will guide the Department systematically to upgrade the units at the Parks.

Already major recommendations to rectify the backlog maintenance are being addressed. This can be seen at Laboria Park Parliamentary Village, whereby all units are currently painted internally and externally. At Acacia Park, the Department is currently in a process of doing Repairs and Renovations at the A block and C block.

Also, the Department converted Mopane flats from bachelor to two bedroom flats. The said flats have been fully furnished with new furniture and only Members of Parliament are being accommodated.

3.4 LONG-TERM PLANS WITH THE PARKS

The Department is investigating various options regarding the long term plans of the Parks such as:

Consolidating the three Parks into one

Relocating the Parks closer to Parliament

Replacing the prefab structures systematically with brick structures as funding becomes available.

3.5 ILLEGAL OCCUPANTS AT THE THREE PARLIAMENTARY VILLAGES

• A person becomes an illegal occupant once his/her term as Member of Parliament or Sessional official seizes.
• A thirty (30) day written notice is given to the persons who are no more qualifying for accommodation in the Parliamentary Villages. This action is in compliance with the Parliamentary Villages Management Act, Act No. 96 of 1998. There should be a need to balance the rights of tenants and land lords and create mechanisms to protect both tenants and land lords against unfair practices and exploitation.
• There should also be need to introduce mechanisms through which conflicts between tenants and land lords can be resolved speedily at a minimum cost to the parties.
• The current stage in the process is that final notices will be forwarded to all persons who are not qualifying by 9 June 2004.
• Failure to comply, the Department will refer to the matter to the Office of the State Attorney for eviction and possible collection of arrear rental.
• No one may be evicted from their home, or have their home demolished without an order of court made after considering all relevant circumstances
• The Department will make regular follow ups with the Office of the State Attorney in respect of the evictions.

3.6 PROPERTY STATISTICS AT THE PARLIAMENTARY VILLAGES

• In Acacia Park, there are 529 dwelling units and 96 rooms for domestic workers.
• In Pelican Park, there are 108 dwelling units and 10 rooms for domestic workers.
• In Laboria Park, there are 65 dwelling units and 10 rooms for domestic workers.
• The National Department of Public Works administers the Villages.
• Of the 529 units in Acacia Park, 102 of them are prefab units.
• At Laboria Park Parliamentary Village, 58 of the units are occupied by Members of Parliament, 4 occupied by sessional officials, 1 occupied by WSP as an office, 1 occupied by DPW as an office and one unit is vacant.

3.6 PARLIAMENTARY VILLAGES BOARD

The Board is established in terms of the Parliamentary Villages Board Act. This Board is responsible for the Affairs of the board. There is a need to review its composition, mandate and effectiveness. The Board needs to be reconstituted as some of its members did not return as Members of Parliament.