Drugs, prostitution and rubbish inside state's valuable but decaying buildings

The lack of an asset registry by the department of public works and infrastructure has been cited as one of the major causes of decay in many government buildings across the country.

So says the DA's shadow minister for public works and infrastructure, Sello Seitlholo, who lead an oversight visit in KwaZulu-Natal this week.

Seitlholo visited Excelsior Court in the upmarket suburb of Musgrave in Durban, where he was shocked to discover the extent of decay at the building which had previously housed police officials.

The multistorey building is dotted with rubbish and faeces, broken doors, and window and door frames which have been stripped.

“This building is creating havoc. . There are illegal activities taking place including drugs and prostitution, and the department has no idea how to [take control ] since it does not have an immovable-asset registry complete to be able to ascertain where their properties are,” said Seitlholo.

He said this has also been laid bare on his visits to other parts of the country such as Wynberg in the Western Cape.

“Remember, any government removable asset is under the custodianship of the department of public works. If a sister department such as police, health or social development vacates a building, it is public works' responsibility to take over the building,” said Seitlholo. “This includes ensuring security remains intact, and doing renovations.”

He said feedback from the departments was often not forthcoming.

In 2020, Seitlholo's predecessor, Samantha Graham, wrote an oversight report that she submitted to the then director-general of the department. The response revealed that the building was being used by the police. However, there was no trace of a formal contract between the two arms of government.

“When the SAPS started moving out, the department  indicated that the defence force had expressed interest in leasing the property for accommodation for members. Of course, we know this did not materialise. The situation, as we see today, is one of shock and horror,” said Seitlholo.

He said the building had the potential to create jobs, stimulate the economy and provide accommodation.

“This is in knowing very well that KZN does not spend its housing budget,” said Seitlholo.

He said the rundown buildings were a burden on already cash-strapped municipalities.

“We know ANC municipalities are struggling to provide the most basic of services. I imagine that they now have to provide resources to undertake the maintenance and security of public works buildings. It's an indictment to be sitting in an 11-storey building that could have been used for housing,” said Seitlholo.

Musgrave resident Brian Robb, who has lived in the area  more than 17 years, described the hellish experience of having to contend with unruliness and drunken debauchery.

The building is often the scene of running battles between security companies and vagrants.

“The weekends are worse. I am surprised that I am still alive because the situation has often been threatening,” said Robb.

A trained architect, Robb said the building could have been put to better use. “It's on prime land which would have been snapped up by property [developers]. It is well suited for an office block,” said Robb.

Veteran DA politician and central Durban constituency head Diane Kohler-Barnard, who has been involved with the oversight of the building for more than 12 years, said she was unimpressed.

“Police are refusing [to obey] a direct order. There were taxi drivers who would wash their taxis here all the time, leaving the water gushing for years and years,” said Kohler-Barnard.

She said during her time in Gauteng, there were hundreds of buildings whose co-ordinates showed that they were in the Atlantic Ocean.

“This told us [the department] had no idea where these buildings were. When people move out, developers move in, renovate and sell the place,” said Kohler-Barnard. She said by the time the department wakes up, the building is irrecoverable. 

Added to the mess is the department's inability to afford court fees.

“This building does not belong to public works but to taxpayers and is worth about R250m. That's our money rotting away and being stolen and chipped away while absolutely nothing is being done to counter that,” said Kohler-Barnard.

She blasted the public works department for its poor performance.

Mayville sector policing officer Janus Horn, who knows only too well the struggles that residents of the upmarket suburb contend with, said while the high-rise building remained an eyesore, they had made strides in removing illegal occupants.

“At one stage, there were more than 200 people living here, all illegally. They just moved in. With the help of security and the eThekwnini municipality, we removed some of them and cleared the building,” said Horn.

He said during some of their operations, they would often be met with thieves stealing copper cables and pipes.

“It was an absolute nightmare. I have arrested well over six guys for stealing metals from the lift shafts, which they wheel down the road in trollers,” said Horn.

Public works spokesperson Lennox Mabaso said the department was waiting for information from the tenant. He denied the assertions made.