…says they are dilapidated and expensive to maintain
…while generating a mere M307 000 in rent
Moroke Sekoboto
THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations is considering selling its four properties in South Africa, citing high maintenance costs and low rental returns.
The ministry revealed that it had collected only M307 000 in rental income from the buildings this financial year (2025/26), an amount it said was insufficient to cover maintenance costs, forcing it to use its own budget to sustain the properties.
Addressing the Prime Minister’s Ministries and Departments, Governance, Foreign Relations and Information Cluster in Parliament this week, the ministry’s Director of Finance, Mamatela Nkukana, said officials had introduced formal contracts between the ministry and tenants after discovering that some occupants were using the buildings without paying rent.
Ms Nkukana explained that the rental properties are only those located in South Africa, while buildings in other countries were reserved for the country’s own diplomatic use.
“We signed contracts with new tenants, which has improved our rent collection. This year we collected M307 000; previously we collected even less,” Ms Nkukana said.
“We do not have a property manager, so we have to monitor the people living in our properties ourselves. Even if the buildings are uninhabitable, tenants are still required to pay rent, and we must ensure that it is collected.”
She also said the deteriorating state of the buildings had made them costly to maintain.
“These buildings are dilapidated and require high maintenance. It would be better to dispose of them or sell them, as we now have to use the ministry’s budget to monitor and maintain them,” she said.
Also addressing the Cluster, the ministry’s Principal Secretary, Thabang Lekhela, said although the buildings were in poor condition, the ministry continued to pay municipal rates to the South African government from its operational budget because the properties did not generate enough revenue.
“The buildings are collapsing, yet we still pay rates from our budget, not from the income generated by the properties.
“We have recommended that the dilapidated buildings be disposed of (demolished) or sold. We have engaged the Ministry of Public Works and Transport as well as the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and we are awaiting their decision,” Mr Lekhela said.
He said there was no clear, timeframe yet for the disposal or sale of the properties, but the ministry intended to begin the process in the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.
“We will continue engaging the relevant ministries because the more time we waste, the more it costs us,” he said.
For his part, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Lejone Mpotjoane, said the ministry planned to strengthen monthly monitoring of the properties through its Department of Finance at the Johannesburg Consulate to prevent further revenue losses.
Mr Mpotjoane also said the ministry would engage a consultant to evaluate the properties should a decision be made to sell them.
“We must ensure that those using our properties sign payment contracts, and those who have already signed must pay rent directly into the Johannesburg Consulate revenue account.
“We will enhance monthly monitoring to increase revenue collection. We will also engage a consultant to assess the value of the buildings, as we are not property experts,” Mr Mpotjoane said.
He described some of the buildings, particularly the one in Johannesburg, as severely damaged and virtually uninhabitable.
“It is hard to believe that people are living in some of these buildings. They are severely damaged, and that is why we are considering disposing them,” he added.
However, the trio did not list the properties Lesotho has in South Africa.
Prime Minister’s Ministries and Departments, Governance, Foreign Relations and Information Cluster, Moshe Makotoko, urged the ministry to opt for selling the properties as they are, arguing that demolishing would also incur costs.
“These buildings are dilapidated and expensive to maintain. I advise the ministry to sell them as they are, not demolish them, because demolishing will also be costly. The buyer will assume the costs of demolishing should they wish to dispose and erect new properties,” Mr Makotoko said.
He questioned why the ministry had failed to properly maintain its assets and criticised the continued allocation of budgetary resources towards underperforming international properties.
“The ministry is running at a loss by keeping these properties, as they lose value every day. The properties belong to us, yet we are not benefiting from them,” he said.
