Telkom Towers SAPS Rental Costs Spark Concerns Over Police Headquarters

• The Telkom Towers complex in Pretoria has been vacant since February 2024 due to health and safety concerns.
• The public is still paying R6.8-million a month for the complex's maintenance.
• SAPS is spending nearly R40-million a month to rent premises in the city centre.
• A public-private partnership is being investigated as a potential solution to the issue.

Despite this, the public is still footing the bill for the complex's maintenance, with an estimated R6.8-million spent on it every month.

The Telkom Towers complex in Pretoria, meant to house the South African Police Service (SAPS) headquarters, has been vacant since February 2024 due to health and safety concerns. Despite this, the public is still footing the bill for the complex's maintenance, with an estimated R6.8-million spent on it every month. This staggering figure raises questions about the government's handling of procurement and property management. The Auditor General had flagged the purchase of Telkom Towers as a material irregularity, highlighting concerns over the department's financial management.

Meanwhile, SAPS is spending nearly R40-million a month to rent premises in the city centre. This is on top of the R6.8-million spent on Telkom Towers, bringing the total monthly rental cost for SAPS to nearly R47-million. The department's deputy-director general, Mandla Sithole, revealed that SAPS has 68 leases in Pretoria, with 22 of them located in the city centre. These leases cover a significant amount of office space and parking bays, with an estimated annual cost of around R444-million.

Public works minister Dean Macpherson launched an investigation into the purchase of Telkom Towers in August 2024. The police minister had previously announced that SAPS would withdraw from the complex and pursue an alternative accommodation strategy. A public-private partnership is being investigated as a potential solution to the issue, but officials were unimpressed by this suggestion. MPs expressed frustration over the lack of progress in addressing the problem, with one member questioning why it was taking so long for the two ministers to meet.

Lawyers and compliance officers should watch for potential exposure to public-private partnership risks, as the Telkom Towers complex's vacant state raises questions about the government's handling of procurement and property management.

Source: Original reporting via GroundUp