Whose rebuilding plan is it anyway?

Cheryllee Hannam

cheryllee@nmgroup.co.za

POLOKWANE – The four-year rebuilding plan of the Polokwane magistrate’s court is seemingly on hold while the provincial department of public works, roads and infrastructure and national department of justice and correctional services debate over whose responsibility it is to restore the court building.

With the rebuilding plans allegedly on ice, matters for the Polokwane magistrate’s court are being heard at the Polokwane high court and some cases are referred to Mankweng, Bochum or Ga-Matlala. The administration and prosecution personnel are accommodated at the Nedbank building in the city.

The magistrate’s court was completely destroyed and the roof also caved in, in a fire in October 2012. No injuries were sustained.

Andries Nel, the former deputy minister of the department, then known as justice and constitutional development, visited the site on October 24, 2012 and said it would take no less than R200 million and at least four years to rebuild the structure.

But it would appear as if nothing has been done since his visit. In February this year, Mthunzi Mhaga, spokesperson for the national department of justice and correctional services, said the provincial department of public works, roads and infrastructure was instructed to urgently continue with the restoration of the fire-damaged building.

Mhaga also said the project execution plan was likely to be completed by May 1, 2015.

To date, there are no visible indications that restoration work has been started.

Asked how far the four-year rebuilding plans were, blame was shifted from justice to public works and back again.

Steve Mahlangu, spokesperson for the national department of justice and correctional services, said he was waiting for a report from public works, but Callies Matlala, spokesperson for the provincial department of public works, roads and infrastructure, said the national department of justice and correctional services was in charge of the matter.