I thank you very much. Has this legislation now been fully implemented? Can the Minister show this House that all assets which no longer meet the service delivery requirements have been commercialised to the best advantage of the state? In this regard, are there any assets of strategic importance that are not being used for that purpose?
The Act also requires a continuous interaction between users and custodians of the assets to enable their optimal use. Is this happening uniformly across South Africa? Can the Minister give us assurance that users and custodians are interacting as the Act envisages? I now come to the National Infrastructure Maintenance Strategy that was developed by the department to rehabilitate public assets, most of which are in dilapidated states. We ask the Minister to inform this House about the achievements attained under this programme. While R6,4 billion allocated for rehabilitation may not be adequate, getting true value for this amount and plugging leakages will allow this expenditure to go far. Today, South Africa has to contend with a triple problem: inadequate resources, rampant corruption in the public service and extensive incompetence. The Minister has to ensure that he exercises proper vigilance.
A vital question that has to be asked is: How is the department managing government's immovable property portfolio in support of the government's social, economic, functional and political objectives without the proper function of an asset register? Cope also questions why the compilation of the state asset register is being left to inexperienced students rather than experienced individuals in the field. The problem of the maintenance backlog in respect of government infrastructure and buildings is one of the greatest magnitude. Is there a credible plan to deal with the problem?
In this regard, where and how is this department failing so that the Minister of Communications, Siphiwe Nyanda, is forced and compelled to book into luxury hotels for an extended period? It is estimated that a total of R4,5 million was spent by Ministers on luxury hotel stays and other property-related expense scandals last year. These include the R800 000 spending spree by the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa.
In addition, we cannot forget the report of R134 million that was splurged by the Department of Public Works' officials, including Minister Geoff Doidge and his, Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, on travelling, accommodation and restaurants since April 2008 with R34 million spent within the first six months of 2009. This is unacceptable at a time when the economy is in trouble and poverty is deepening. [Interjections.]
The prestige management that funds the allocation of activities relating to the residences of Ministers and Deputy Ministers also needs to be brought under a magnifying glass. Reported expenditure on luxury Persian carpets, curtains and furniture at prices above those prevailing in the market, if true, must mean that this government cares nothing about the poor. [Interjections.]
Will the Minister disclose, for example, what amount was spent on the residences of the Ministers and Deputy Ministers in the period May 2009-10? [Interjections.] Will the Minister give a breakdown for carpets, curtains and furnishing in the Ministers' houses? The taste of fancy hotels and big spending should be funded by the Ministers themselves. Mismanaged spending means misallocation of resources and that in turn hurts job creation. [Interjections.]