The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) last week forced two of its units to move into a half-burnt office building without power or water.
City Press reports that the offices, in the Bester Building in Pretoria, have no windows and rats and pigeons have nested there since 2013. Shortly before the relocation order was issued, the SANDF’s occupational safety inspectors found that the building, which is supposed to house 400 staff members, was unsafe. The roof of the upper floor has been destroyed, with water seeping into the offices below while electrical wires protrude everywhere.
Despite warnings from the SANDF’s occupational safety division, the Army is determined that the infantry and army support formations should be housed in the building, City Press reported.
The infantry formation is directly involved in handling the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the deployment and repatriation of soldiers, but had to put its work on hold to move, the publication said.
The Bester Building, located behind the army headquarters on Dequar Road, suffered large-scale fire damage in 2013. After the fire, power and water supplies to the building were cut off because it was a fire hazard. Because of this, the Army’s electricians are unwilling to supply power to the offices with generators.
On the first day in the burnt offices, one soldier was reportedly taken to the hospital after she had an asthma attack.
The SA National Defence Union (Sandu) has issued an ultimatum on behalf of one of its members to the Ministry of Defence, Army Chief Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, the Departments of Public Works and Labour, and other stakeholders that the move be halted immediately.
The Public Service Association is demanding that the Army stop the move for now and allow staff to work from home until a satisfactory agreement is reached. By last Friday, the relocation process was 90% complete, according to City Press.
The SA Army issued a tender, closing on 17 February 2025, for the electrification of the Bester Building, with the successful bidder to rewire it (including new switches, plugs, and distribution boards).
