DA slams R34m blowout on unbuilt Thembisa rehab centre

Following the revelation of R34m spent on planning with no progress, the DA in Gauteng requested premier Panyaza Lesufi to take urgent action against the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDHS).

The R34m was spent on the planning phase of a rehabilitation centre in Thembisa, without progress on the project.

The revelation came during a response by MEC for Social Development, Faith Mazibuko, to questions tabled by the DA in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

ALSO READ: DA raises awareness for learners of Tembisa West Secondary

Mazibuko disclosed that the planning of the centre, which began in the 2018/19 financial year, had already cost the department over R34.2m, well beyond the initial allocation of R20.5m.

According to Mazibuko, the breakdown of expenditure includes R11m in 2018, R13.7m in 2020, R6.9m in 2021 and R1.9m in 2023.
She noted they used the money for services such as architectural design, quantity surveying, mechanical engineering, construction project management, and town planning.

The DA has labelled the situation as a flagrant waste of public funds, highlighting the urgent need for rehabilitation facilities in Gauteng.

Thembisa and surrounding communities continue to grapple with high rates of drug and alcohol abuse, with many young people trapped in cycles of addiction and despair.

“Gauteng residents deserve a caring and responsive government that provides solutions to drug addiction, not one that spends R34m and has nothing to show for it,” said Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development.

The party also raised concerns over the Gauteng government’s decision to cut its existing inpatient rehabilitation capacity by nearly half.

In the 2023/24 financial year, they funded 571 beds across 13 NPOS.

That figure has dropped to 325 beds in the 2024/25 financial year, following the withdrawal of funding from five rehabilitation centres.

ALSO READ: Watch: Uncertainty surrounds fate of Ekurhuleni mayor and Speaker facing votes of no confidence

During his 2025 State of the Province Address, Premier Lesufi declared: “We have a serious drug problem in our province. This is a battle we refuse to lose.”

Yet, the DA argues current spending patterns and reduction of services contradict this commitment.

On April 1, The Thembisan sent an enquiry to the City of Ekurhuleni, requesting clarity on the original budget allocated for the planning phase, how the expenditure exceeded the budget by R13.7m, and what measures will be put in place to prevent such overruns in the future.

A response was requested by April 7.

They received a deadline extension, but at the time of going to print, received no comment.