The Department of Tourism's Chief Director: Tourism Development, Sara Manone, has revealed that the said amount of money was spent during phase 1 of the project. During the oversight visit, the chairperson of the North West Provincial Legislature's Portfolio Committee on Tourism, Bitsa Lenkopane, lambasted the slow development of hotel school projects in the province, including the progress at the aforementioned school. 

Also read: Orkney hotel school a 'white elephant'

The building is intended to be utilised as the third hotel school in the province - in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District - to the tune of R13,7 million. Manone added that some of the delays in the project can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020/21, and public sector budget cuts.

“The department has spent R7 356 301,02 on phase 1. The commencement of phase 2 and the overall completion of the project will be affected by the February 2022 Constitutional Court judgment, setting aside the Preferential Procurement Regulations,’’ she says.

Manone said an agreement between the Department and Anglo Gold Ashanti on the transfer of 1A Milton Ave facilities concluded in 2015.  

Also read: Work set to commence at the controversial NW Orkney hotel school

In 2019, the department - after serious criticism from opposition parties about the delay in the project - announced that contractors that year were on site and most of the work was done.

But four years after the announcement, the Legislature's committee chairperson, Bitsa Lenkopane, said since the hand-over of the building structure in 2015, donated by Anglo Gold Ashanti, the project is still not operational whilst it remains a white elephant - which is costing the department more money due to the ageing infrastructure. Lenkopane said that “the infrastructure is full of hidden and unforeseen damages".

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