The final forensic report on the controversial Telkom Towers project will be delivered by the end of April, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has revealed.

In August last year, Macpherson commissioned an independent report on the purchase and renovation of the unused former Telkom headquarters building, in Pretoria, costing taxpayers north of R900-million for a property that remains vacant and vandalised.

“We are . . . cracking down and getting tough on bad deals and bad expenditure. You will be glad to know that the interim report [on the Telkom Towers project] is before us, and we are awaiting the final report at the end of April, which we will deliver,” he told delegates at the inaugural Public Works and Infrastructure Summit, in Sandton, on April 1.

In 2016, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) bought the complex for R695-million, intending to establish it as the national headquarters for the South African Police Service (SAPS). Subsequent renovations have cost an additional R215-million, bringing the total expenditure to nearly R1-billion.

Despite these investments, the complex remains largely unoccupied. In February last year, the building was evacuated after being declared unfit for human habitation owing to issues such as faulty electrical wiring, non-functioning lifts, water damage, and unmaintained fire safety systems.

The forensic report seeks to address the rationale behind the DPWI's purchase of the complex and the necessity of this acquisition, as well as the procedures followed in appointing contractors and their suitability for the project.​

The report will also hopefully determine whether the purchase was the optimal solution for SAPS's needs and hold accountable those officials involved in the decision-making process.​

The hope is that the report will result in the potential recovery of funds from contractors for incomplete or substandard work.

It is expected that the report will contain recommendations for the future use or disposal of the building, along with recommended measures to prevent similar situations in the future.​

Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure has also called for its own comprehensive forensic audit of the Telkom Towers project to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.