Gauteng Pays R2.9 Million Monthly for Mostly Empty Office Used for Photocopying

A Johannesburg CBD office building leased for R2.9 million a month is being used primarily to make photocopies, according to opposition parties in Gauteng. This revelation has triggered widespread criticism and raised fresh concerns over how public funds are being managed in the province.

The five-storey building, located at 55 Fox Street, was intended to accommodate Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) staff. But according to Democratic Alliance (DA) MPL Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, the space is largely vacant and is reportedly only used when employees need to use a printer.

“It’s unacceptable that taxpayers are footing the bill for a building that’s barely used,” said Rasilingwane, who attempted an oversight visit this week but was denied entry due to supposed safety risks.

Security officials told the DA delegation the building was unsafe and no longer compliant with Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations. Rasilingwane questioned why the government continues to pay rent if the facility is deemed unsafe and not in full use.

The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (DID), which manages office accommodations, has yet to provide answers. When approached for comment, GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona redirected inquiries to DID.

41 State-Owned Buildings Left to Rot

Adding fuel to the fire, ActionSA Gauteng chairperson Funzi Ngobeni pointed out that the provincial government owns 41 buildings that have been abandoned, yet continues to spend heavily on renting office space. He described the situation as a “blatant display of mismanagement.”

Ngobeni claims that R2.2 billion has been spent on office rentals over the past five years, with little to no urgency shown in rehabilitating government-owned buildings.

“This is a slap in the face to taxpayers. It highlights deep fiscal mismanagement and poor oversight of public assets,” he said.

Why Is the Province Renting Instead of Using Its Own Buildings?

In response to earlier questions in the Legislature, Gauteng MEC Jacob Mamabolo defended the rentals, saying many government-owned buildings were in disrepair due to years of neglected maintenance. He confirmed that the province’s infrastructure department has turned to private leasing to meet its mandate while upgrades are considered.

“Leasing from third parties is a temporary solution while we explore longer-term alternatives,” said Mamabolo.

Despite this explanation, concerns remain. If buildings are unfit for use, why has no timeline or transparent plan been shared to restore them or end costly rentals?

With no response yet from DID, the controversy is likely to deepen in the coming weeks as questions pile up about accountability, safety standards, and the true scale of public money lost to wasteful office leases.

{Source: The Citizen}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com