Minister Dean Macpherson has confirmed that landlords are claiming over R50 million in damages linked to disputed leases, while highlighting ongoing failures affecting DIRCO, COGTA, and other departments across the public sector.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson says failures in state leasing processes are creating what he described as “self-created emergencies”, exposing government to legal disputes, financial losses, and irregular expenditure.
Macpherson was speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday ahead of his Budget Vote and said the department would outline reforms aimed at improving oversight, strengthening procurement compliance, and addressing systemic weaknesses in public property management.
He said the department could not be rebuilt without confronting internal dysfunction.
“We cannot build a capable department on top of broken systems,” Macpherson said.
