The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has missed its deadline to move its operations into the TEB Office Park in Mahikeng due to unresolved safety and building code violations. The Department of Employment and Labour has issued both contravention and prohibition notices against the facility, effectively halting the scheduled relocation of staff.
Building Safety Concerns And Compliance Issues
Government investigations into the office park identified several hazards, including malfunctioning lifts and inadequate emergency exit doors. Furthermore, officials confirmed that the site lacks a necessary structural integrity report and has not provided valid certification for its air-conditioning systems.
North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Madoda Sambatha, explained that the department is currently unable to occupy the space while these issues remain outstanding. During a recent update, he noted that official bodies are continuing to engage with the building owners to ensure all legislative requirements are met before personnel can safely move in.
Impact On Agriculture Service Delivery
The continued delay has left employees of the department dispersed across various district and local offices, complicating internal coordination and external access. Legislators have expressed alarm that the current administrative fragmentation is hindering the department’s ability to assist the province’s farming community effectively.
As the Portfolio Committee, our main concern is that if we do not have offices where the end users, who are the farmers, can access the department to get the necessary services, it means the department is not going to be able to live up to the expectations.
Sipho Dial, Chairperson of the North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, issued this warning during a committee session. The department moved to rectify its office situation after its previous government-owned premises were also shut down by Labour officials for failing to meet basic safety compliance standards.
The department is expected to provide a revised timeline for the transition once the landlord confirms that all identified building code violations have been corrected.