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Only 1.5% of South Africa’s Government Buildings in Excellent Condition
Billions in assets, little to show
South Africa’s property portfolio is worth R151 billion, yet only a fraction of it is being properly maintained. This week, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) briefed Parliament and revealed that just 1 145 out of 79 032 state properties are in excellent condition. That is a mere 1.5%.
The department’s asset register, which tracks government-owned land and buildings across the country, paints a sobering picture. More than half of state properties fall into “fair” condition, with thousands listed as poor or very poor.
Where the buildings stand, and fall
Cape Town holds the highest number of unused state properties, with 959 out of its 13 154 stockpile sitting idle. Nelspruit follows with 127 out of 8 053, while Durban and Mmabatho each account for more than 120 vacant properties. Even Bloemfontein, with a smaller portfolio, has over a hundred government buildings gathering dust.
While many buildings are actively used by state departments, the high vacancy rate highlights a deeper problem. These assets cost money to maintain and secure, yet they remain empty while the government continues to pay staggering rental fees elsewhere.
Paying rent while buildings rot
The contradiction is not new. Earlier this year, Gauteng’s MEC for Infrastructure Development, Jacob Mamabolo, disclosed that the province was spending R34 million every month on leased office space, even though vacant state-owned buildings were available. In the last five years, over R2 billion has been spent on rentals for provincial departments.
This comes at a time when the DPWI is under pressure to reduce wasteful expenditure. The numbers show a state drowning in asset mismanagement: leasing from private landlords while failing to make use of properties it already owns.
Operation Bring Back: reclaiming hijacked spaces
The crisis goes beyond vacancy. Many government-owned buildings and parcels of land have been hijacked or illegally occupied. In response, Public Works has launched Operation Bring Back, a campaign to recover unlawfully occupied farms, resorts, and state buildings.
In April, the department shut down the Pont Holiday Resort in Port St Johns, where operators had been running the property rent-free for years without a lease agreement or payment of municipal rates. Committee members revealed that the occupant had taken over from someone who left the business years earlier, effectively profiting from state land without accountability.
The bigger picture
The register’s findings come at a time when service delivery is under strain and government spending is scrutinised like never before. For citizens, the fact that only 1.5% of state properties are in top condition raises hard questions. Why should taxpayers shoulder billions in rental fees when vacant government buildings stand neglected? Why have hijacked buildings been allowed to operate as private businesses for decades without intervention?
Public Works has promised to reclaim more properties and tackle decay in its portfolio, but with nearly 50 000 buildings in fair or worse condition, the road to turning around this R151 billion asset base is long. The challenge will be less about owning property and more about managing it responsibly.
Also read: Dysselsdorp Police Station Collapse Sparks R9.8m Lawsuit
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Source: The Citizen
Featured Image: The South African
