Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala inspects the new SAPS headquarters in the Pretoria CBD. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi/African News Agency (ANA)
Police Minister Bheki Cele and national commissioner SAPS Lieutenant-General Fannie Masemola will soon relocate to the old Telkom Towers buildings in the Pretoria CBD as part of the ongoing centralisation of the department.
This was said by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala when he visited the complex in his drive to get the SAPS headquarters ready for occupation.
The Telkom Towers complex comprises 10 buildings that measure 221 954m² of lettable office accommodation.
There are 2 234 parking bays. It is said to have more than enough space to accommodate the total requirements of the SAPS.
Zikalala said floors 23, 24 and 25 were thoroughly fixed at a cost of R10 million. These floors will accommodate the minister, national commissioner and other police executives.
He said they could start moving in in a month or two.
Although the premises still carry Telkom signage, the last external cosmetic changes will change all of that and ensure that the public knows immediately the complex belongs to the SAPS.
Zikalala said the additional police services needed would be accommodated with the development of other state-owned properties close to the Telkom Towers complex. This will create a police precinct in the centre of the capital.
He said it was located within the Church Square precinct in the inner city and strategically placed on the proposed Government Boulevard.
The Telkom Tower complex was bought by government in 2015 for R645 million from the Telkom Retirement Fund when Telkom relocated its head office. It was procured to be used for housing government departments.
This, and many other buildings and precinct the minister will be launching over the years, will ensure that the government moves away from greedy landlords who overcharge the government for rent, while they fail to maintain their buildings because the government’s hands are tied.
A source within the police, who asked not to be named, said: “The government wants to deal with those greedy landlords who would lock members of the police outside of their building simply because rent was not paid. They did not know the government was protesting their ridiculous rates and failure to maintain their buildings. Now the government is claiming back its power from people who took advantage of the government’s large budgets.”
The minister, accompanied by top management of the department, visited the complex to inspect the work done so far in getting Telkom Tower North ready to start the SAPS’s migration process.
He said: “The acquisition of the Telkom Towers buildings was envisioned to ensure the police are accommodated in a suitable office space which will not hinder their work and operations. The positives associated with this acquisition were also meant to help government avoid fruitless expenditure associated with being held at ransom by unscrupulous landlords who charge the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure exorbitant rental prices which are way above market-related prices.”
Zikalala added: “As a department, we are working to ensure that all long outstanding projects in this complex are finalised. The first pivotal point is to ensure that this building is functional, compliant and well-maintained. I can confirm now that the building is compliant. We need to ensure that everything is in order for the occupation of the police hierarchy.”
Pretoria News
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