An investigation is under way following a recent cable theft at the Mpumalanga Parliamentary Village.
On July 9, the DA in Mpumalanga released a statement questioning security at the village after burglars stole about R2.6m worth of electrical cables. The party said this has delayed the handover of the project for another month.

The Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport (DPWRT) spokesperson, Bongani Dhlamini, confirmed the incident but said that the cost implications are still undetermined.

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According to him, authorities are currently investigating the matter, and the site remains under the contractor’s control.

The 50ha site, situated on the road to Kaapsehoop, was purchased from the Matsafeni Trust for about R30m. Construction began in November 2017, and had an estimated completion date of April 2020.

It has since missed several extended handover deadlines. The department recently announced a new completion date, saying the project is expected to be finished on October 1.

The development is intended to house the members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature (MPL), with the aim of curbing government expenses.

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At its inception, it was stated that the DPWRT would spend R300m on the construction of the housing. This figure has since been revised to nearly R1b.

DA MPL Teboho Sekaledi said in a June 2026 project progress report, which was recently handed over to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works, Roads and Transport, that the contractor has reported further delays.
The report stated that telemetry accessories and water station electrical cables were stolen and vandalised.

“The DA is concerned that this project has been delayed and has become a burden to taxpayers,” said Sekaledi.

Dhlamini said that the latest launch date will not change. “So far there are no changes to the commitment made by DPWRT that the village will be available for occupancy in October.”

During an oversight visit on July 2, MPL Speaker Makhosazane Masilela said the village is a national key point.

“It needs to be completed to house the members in a conducive way so that it can also be easy for them to do their work of fulfilling their constitutional mandate. If the construction processes of the village fail, it means the legislature has failed in doing its oversight work as expected.”

MPL members demanded answers from the relevant Members of the Executive Council and advised the project implementers to avoid making promises they would not keep.