PUBLIC Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille has ordered the eviction of six former sessional officials who have overstayed their stay at parliamentary villages in Cape Town.
The eviction comes after De Lille received a complaint from Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.
De Lille revealed this when DA MP Samantha Graham wrote to her asking how often her department conducted audits of the occupancy of the houses occupied by sessional workers at Acacia Park, Laboria Park, and Pelican Park parliamentary villages.
Graham also enquired about the period of occupation for sessional workers and whether she has been informed of the allegations that sessional workers did not reside in their allocated houses, but were renting them out instead.
In her written reply, De Lille said the department conducted annual occupancy audits of the parliamentary villages after all designation letters of sessional officials were received from client departments.
The department will commence with the next occupancy audit on July 1, she said.
The minister explained that sessional officials were appointed on a yearly basis for a parliamentary year.
De Lille confirmed that she received a complaint from Sisulu of six former sessional officials who are illegally occupying units at Acacia and Pelican Park parliamentary villages.
“The department instituted a process of eviction May 12, 2022. The department has also requested that the SAPS at the gates refuse entry to the six former sessional staff members,” she added.
Meanwhile, the department has paid R136 901 550.57 in monthly costs for facilities’ management for the three parliamentary villages in the past three financial years.
De Lille said a total of R74.9m was paid for facilities’ management for Acacia Park, R33.6m for Pelican Park, and R42m for Laboria Park.
Asked whether facilities’ management companies have been appointed for the parliamentary precinct and the residential villages, the minister said a facilities’ management company has not yet been appointed for the Parliament precinct.
Cape Times