ActionSA
By Thabo Mbele
ActionSA lodges criminal complaint over collapsed R28m Boipatong Old Age Home project, with the opposition party filing charges at Boipatong SAPS on Wednesday against Emfuleni Local Municipality, Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development and contractors for alleged corruption, fraud and dereliction of duty in the stalled initiative meant to provide care for the elderly.
The move highlights ongoing governance failures in Gauteng’s Emfuleni region, where the project—launched in 2015—has devoured over R28 million in taxpayer funds yet remains an abandoned, vandalised shell nearly a decade later. ActionSA Gauteng provincial chairperson Funzi Ngobeni presented evidence pointing to financial misconduct, including R25 million paid to contractors despite no progress and R3 million in professional fees without services rendered. The case has been referred to the Hawks for investigation, with Ngobeni urging Premier Panyaza Lesufi to petition the President for a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe under the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act. This scandal underscores broader issues of procurement delays, poor planning and community unrest in Emfuleni, a municipality plagued by infrastructure backlogs and financial woes, leaving vulnerable elderly residents without promised support.
Project Background and Chronic Delays
The Boipatong Old Age Home was envisioned as a vital facility to house and care for elderly residents in the Emfuleni Local Municipality, part of the Sedibeng District in southern Gauteng. Initiated in 2015 by the municipality, the project was later handed over to the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) for completion, with an initial budget of R28.35 million. Intended to provide dignified living for society’s most vulnerable, it included plans for safe accommodation, medical support and recreational spaces.
However, the initiative has been marred by repeated setbacks. Contractor failures, administrative incompetence and community protests halted progress early on. A major blow came with the late discovery of a Sasol-owned methane gas pipeline running beneath the site, rendering parts unsafe for construction and requiring costly redesigns. This issue, uncovered years into the project, exposed glaring oversights in initial site assessments and environmental impact studies. By 2025, the site stands incomplete and dilapidated, with overgrown weeds, crumbling foundations and no functional infrastructure—despite funds already disbursed.
Emfuleni’s broader challenges compound the problem: the municipality faces a multibillion-rand infrastructure backlog, including broken sewage systems and contaminated waterways, as highlighted in a 2024 Gauteng High Court order mandating fixes to Vaal River pollution. Residents in nearby townships like Sebokeng and Sharpeville have long complained of similar delays in service delivery, with the old age home becoming a symbol of unfulfilled promises.
ActionSA’s Criminal Complaint and Demands
On 20 August 2025, Ngobeni, accompanied by ActionSA Gauteng MPLs Emma More and John Moodey, as well as Emfuleni regional chairperson Bongani Dhlamini, lodged the complaint at Boipatong SAPS. The charges allege violations of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and anti-corruption laws, focusing on fraudulent spending and dereliction of duty. “This project is a textbook case of how corruption and incompetence rob communities of dignity. We will not allow public funds to disappear while our elderly continue to suffer without care or protection,” Ngobeni said.
Key allegations include:
- R25 million paid to contractors despite the site being abandoned.
- Over R3 million in professional fees disbursed without corresponding services.
- No recovery of funds or disciplinary actions against implicated officials or companies.
- Gross negligence in site selection, ignoring the gas pipeline risk.
Given the scale—R28 million involved—Boipatong SAPS referred the matter to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), known as the Hawks, for specialised handling. ActionSA has also called on Premier Lesufi to: - Publicly release the full audit trail of the project.
- Explain the lack of action against companies and officials.
- Commit to recovering misspent funds.
- Ensure the facility’s completion for Boipatong’s elderly.
Ngobeni urged Lesufi to use his executive authority to seek a presidential proclamation for an SIU investigation under Section 2(1) of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act, 74 of 1996. This would enable a thorough probe into maladministration and potential corruption.
Government Response and Promises
Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development Jacob Mamabolo’s spokesperson, Theo Nkonki, previously stated that the government is addressing the delays. “We have launched a detailed planning process, including updated technical studies, revised project scopes, and active engagement with key stakeholders such as SASOL,” Nkonki said. Safety considerations around the gas pipeline are ongoing, with new contracts to include penalties for non-performance. The DID aims for completion by the end of 2026, though sceptics question this timeline given past failures.
Emfuleni Municipality has faced similar scrutiny before, with ward councillors in 2024 complaining of collapsed refuse removal and infrastructure neglect. The area’s history includes environmental hazards, like overflowing sewage affecting schools and health in Boipatong, as documented in reports on water and air pollution.
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