Macpherson orders probe into some 6,000 state-owned homes
Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson has ordered an investigation into 6,238 state-owned homes occupied by government officials, with KwaZulu-Natal accounting for most properties, as government considers selling unnecessary assets to reduce costs.
Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson has ordered an investigation into 6,238 state-owned homes occupied by government officials.
“The default position cannot be that the state indefinitely carries the maintenance rates and other costs of thousands of residential properties while the public fiscus remains under immense pressure,” said Macpherson.
He has added that more than half the properties (3,626) they have identified are in KwaZulu-Natal. A total of 566 are in the Western Cape and 407 in Gauteng.
According to the minister, R39.6 million was spent on day-to-day maintenance during the previous financial year.
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Macpherson says the state should not own thousands of residential properties for government officials, who already receive housing benefits.
He has given the department's director-general 30 days to submit a comprehensive report.
"We need to establish who's occupying each property, the basis on which it was allocated, and whether it still serves a legitimate public purpose. Where properties are underutilised, unnecessary, or no longer required for government operations, they should be released from the state's portfolio through a transparent and legally compliant disposal process.
“Selling properties the state does not need will reduce unnecessary expenditure."
