Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Parliament's portfolio committee on police will only discuss the controversial lease of a Pretoria building once Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has investigated another lease deal in Durban.
Committee chairperson Lydia Chikunga said on Wednesday a letter had been sent to Madonsela for a possible date for the finalisation of the investigation into a deal by police to lease an office in Durban.
"She has not yet responded. We are still awaiting it."
Committee members agreed that the reports on the buildings in Pretoria and Durban should be discussed simultaneously.
It was agreed that the portfolio committees on police and public works would jointly discuss the reports.
"The resolution from the committee is that we'll wait for the Durban report and process them together and work with the committee on public works," said Chikunga.
The police raid on the public protector's office would be dealt with separately at a later stage.
In a scathing report on the R500m lease for new offices in central Pretoria released late last month, Madonsela recommended that the cabinet demand an explanation from Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde about signing off on the deal, despite legal advice to the contrary.
Madonsela in her report said the department of public works' decision to push ahead with the deal amounted to maladministration.
She called for the Treasury to determine steps to terminate the lease, and also took aim at National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele for signing the memorandum authorising funding for the deal.
Madonsela had said she hoped the Durban probe would shed more light on relations between the police and property mogul Roux Shabangu, as many people involved in the Pretoria deal were also involved in the Durban one.
She planned to conclude the Durban investigation this month.
Last month, police arrived at the public protector's offices demanding to know how it had obtained certain documents that were also in the hands of the media.
The ill-timed raid has been widely condemned. Cele suspended the officers involved pending an investigation.
Madonsela told parliament her staff were left "traumatised" by the experience.
Committee chairperson Lydia Chikunga said on Wednesday a letter had been sent to Madonsela for a possible date for the finalisation of the investigation into a deal by police to lease an office in Durban.
"She has not yet responded. We are still awaiting it."
Committee members agreed that the reports on the buildings in Pretoria and Durban should be discussed simultaneously.
It was agreed that the portfolio committees on police and public works would jointly discuss the reports.
"The resolution from the committee is that we'll wait for the Durban report and process them together and work with the committee on public works," said Chikunga.
The police raid on the public protector's office would be dealt with separately at a later stage.
In a scathing report on the R500m lease for new offices in central Pretoria released late last month, Madonsela recommended that the cabinet demand an explanation from Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde about signing off on the deal, despite legal advice to the contrary.
Madonsela in her report said the department of public works' decision to push ahead with the deal amounted to maladministration.
She called for the Treasury to determine steps to terminate the lease, and also took aim at National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele for signing the memorandum authorising funding for the deal.
Madonsela had said she hoped the Durban probe would shed more light on relations between the police and property mogul Roux Shabangu, as many people involved in the Pretoria deal were also involved in the Durban one.
She planned to conclude the Durban investigation this month.
Last month, police arrived at the public protector's offices demanding to know how it had obtained certain documents that were also in the hands of the media.
The ill-timed raid has been widely condemned. Cele suspended the officers involved pending an investigation.
Madonsela told parliament her staff were left "traumatised" by the experience.
