The DA in Limpopo demands answers on the stalled progress by the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure (LDPWRI) in the project to build additional houses in the Parliamentary Village and will submit written questions to MEC Ernest Rachoene for clarity on the project.
The project to build 15 additional houses in the parliamentary village named the Prestige Accommodation Project, was necessitated when the number of Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) increased from 49 to 64 for the Provincial Election in 2024. As the number of MPL’s increased, the available houses could not accommodate the larger number of MPL’s.
The Limpopo Parliamentary Village building project that was initiated in 2024 was meant to have seen the building practical completion and close out of the project completed by March 2026,but there has been no construction to date. View photo here
The Project has an estimated construction cost of R84,578 million and an estimated professional fees cost of R21,106 million. The delays by the LDPWRI have also caused greater expense to the province as those MPL’s who are not allocated a house, allegedly receive a monthly housing allowance in the region of R30 000 per month that costs additional millions per annum in unnecessary expense.
The question is how long will taxpayers have to foot the bill because of the incompetence of the department and massive delays in the actual construction of the housing units. MEC Rachoene must outline the revised timelines, plans to fast track construction of the housing units and the revised estimated budget for the Prestige Accommodation Project.
The DA will continue to monitor the progress of this building project to ensure it is completed as soon as is feasible and does not continue to cost the people of Limpopo money that could be used for other services.