Mbeki house queried in parliament

JOHANNESBURG – The Democratic Alliance said yesterday it had submitted a detailed parliamentary question to the department of public works about the retirement house being built for President Thabo Mbeki and his wife Zanele in Riviera, Johannesburg.

DA chief whip Douglas Gibson said there was no doubt that public money was being used in the construction of the house. A press release issued on Friday by the department of public works stated that the department was involved in the property insofar as government policy required the department to provide appropriate security infrastructure for the house, Gibson said.”Thus, Mrs Mbeki’s claim that this is a private house is inaccurate.Public money is being used and, as such, the public has a right to know how much and in what manner that money is being spent,” he said.As far as the cost for the dwelling was concerned, the final amount was still not known.”The cost of constructing the house has been put at R8m by Motheo Construction.That figure, however, excludes the cost of the property, the cost of the security infrastructure being built by the department of public works and indeed other related costs such as the demolition of the pre-existing house.”The DA was only concerned with any costs billed to the public.”If it is indeed true that the house is indeed being paid for by the taxpayer, it seems both massively excessive and, it appears, without precedent,” DA spokesperson Sydney Opperman said last week.News 24A press release issued on Friday by the department of public works stated that the department was involved in the property insofar as government policy required the department to provide appropriate security infrastructure for the house, Gibson said.”Thus, Mrs Mbeki’s claim that this is a private house is inaccurate.Public money is being used and, as such, the public has a right to know how much and in what manner that money is being spent,” he said.As far as the cost for the dwelling was concerned, the final amount was still not known.”The cost of constructing the house has been put at R8m by Motheo Construction.That figure, however, excludes the cost of the property, the cost of the security infrastructure being built by the department of public works and indeed other related costs such as the demolition of the pre-existing house.”The DA was only concerned with any costs billed to the public.”If it is indeed true that the house is indeed being paid for by the taxpayer, it seems both massively excessive and, it appears, without precedent,” DA spokesperson Sydney Opperman said last week.News 24

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