Macpherson orders audit of state-owned residences amid judge housing scandal
Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson says a Western Cape High Court judge has been instructed to vacate a state-owned Cape Town residence by April 15 after authorities confirmed the judge no longer qualifies for the housing benefit.
Image: File
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has ordered a nationwide audit of all state-owned residential properties following concerns about irregular occupation of government housing, including the recent case involving a Western Cape High Court judge.
The directive to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) comes days after the department issued a notice instructing Judge Daniel Thulare to vacate a state-owned residence in Cape Town after the department said it had received confirmation from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development that he no longer qualified for the housing benefit.
According to the DPWI, the judge was instructed to vacate the residence by April 15 so the property can be restored and reallocated in line with government policies governing state housing for members of the judiciary.
In announcing the audit, Macpherson said stronger oversight was needed after reports that some government residences may be occupied irregularly.
“The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is the custodian of the state’s property portfolio and has a duty to ensure that public assets are used properly and in the interests of the people of South Africa. However, recent incidents have demonstrated that stronger oversight is required to ensure that state residences are not unlawfully occupied or treated as private benefits,” he said.
“This national audit will allow the Department to establish a clear picture of the current status of all state-owned residential properties.”
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said stronger oversight was needed after reports that some government residences may be occupied irregularly.
Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers
Macpherson said the review would examine the occupation status of all residential properties managed by the DPWI and verify whether occupants still qualify for state housing benefits under applicable policies and legal frameworks.
The audit will cover residences allocated to various categories of beneficiaries, including members of the judiciary, government officials and other public servants.
It will also identify properties that may be occupied without valid lease agreements, or where individuals remain in state housing despite no longer meeting the qualifying criteria.
Macpherson warned that action would be taken where unlawful or irregular occupation is identified.
“Where individuals are found to be occupying state properties unlawfully or without the necessary entitlement, the Department will not hesitate to issue notices to vacate and will pursue legal action where compliance is not forthcoming,” he said.
The minister said the audit forms part of broader efforts to restore proper governance over the state’s immovable asset portfolio.
“Public assets exist to serve the people of South Africa and cannot be treated as private benefits. This audit will ensure that the state’s residential property portfolio is brought back into full compliance with the law,” he said.
The case involving Thulare has also drawn political attention after the Democratic Alliance lodged a complaint earlier this year relating to the judge’s alleged continued occupation of the property after his entitlement to the housing benefit had ended.
Media enquiries sent to the provincial office of the Office of the Chief Justice were referred to the national office, which has been approached for comment.