The Eastern Cape government will spend between R30-million and R33-million to build a new 6,000m² office block in Bhisho housing the premier's office.

The province's public works department opened the bidding process last week for the planning and costing of a new office block with a request for proposals or expressions of interest for the design of the building. The development forms part of a plan to resuscitate socio-economic activity in the political capital of the province.

Premier's office spokesman Phila Ngqumba said: "The government has plans to refurbish Bhisho as a city of government. We are working with the Buffalo City municipality and also plan to integrate King William's Town and Bhisho."

Ngqumba said the planned revitalisation of Bhisho was a partnership between the municipality and provincial government and they were aiming to attract big business into the deal.

Public works spokesman Dyomana Madoda said the building of the office block had to be viewed against the background of Bhisho?s revitalisation as a city as a whole.

Madoda said R240-million had been earmarked for the programme. "This marks our first phase of the broader development of the area. It is also a reaction to a space constraint which is confronting the provincial sitting of government."

Madoda said many departments were suffering because of space and in some cases three officials were forced to work in one office.

The new building will allow for the entire staff of the premier's to be housed under one roof. The provincial treasury will then move into the ECDC building where the premier?s is operating from.

This would clear space for other departments, Madoda said.

Ngqumba said premier?s office staff were spread out in different buildings in Bhisho and King William's Town. Madoda said the new building would have a positive effect on service delivery.

"For this specific building, the estimate of the cost is R30-million, but as part of the broader delivery it will have an effect on service delivery."

There are questions surrounding the viability of the building in light of an ongoing debate within the ANC at both provincial and national level on whether provincial governments should be scrapped. ANC provincial spokesman Mahlubandile Gwase said: "Even if we do decide on the scrapping of provincial governments, administrations will remain because people must be able to access their services."

DA public works spokesman Pine Pienaar said the new office block could not be a priority.

"A conservative estimate of the cost of the building is R33-million in a province which politicians of all political parties agree is poor.

"Can we really afford this if we take into account that public works backlogs are already R34-billion?"

Eastern Province Herald
 
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge