DPW and US Office of Defence Cooperation vow to renovate SAMHS facilities
The government of South Africa through the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the government of the United States (US) through the Office of Defence Cooperation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the renovations of the state-owned properties of the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS) on 6 February 2014 in Thaba Tshwane, Pretoria.
The Acting Deputy Director-General: Policy, Ms Mandisa Fatyela-Lindie led the DPW delegation and signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the Director-General Mr Mziwonke Dlabantu, the department and the Government of South Africa.
The MoU between the two countries follows a bi-national agreement of 1 August 2001 in which the US government through the Office of Defence Cooperation (ODC) committed to assisting the Department of Defence (DoD) by providing a donation in a form of renovating facilities used by SAMHS for HIV and AIDS Counselling and Testing, training and treatment purposes in all nine provinces.
The ODC as the donor, will directly appoint contractors provided by the Department of Public Works and pay them to effect the renovations. According to the recently signed MoU, the renovations of the facilities will be funded through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The Memorandum of Understanding is the second in a row following the one for the 1st phase of renovations undertaken between 2003 and 2009. Following the agreement between the Department of Defence and the Office of Defence Cooperation, the Department of Public Works as the custodian of government’s immovable assets was approached and asked to provide technical support and advice to the DoD during the renovations through the involvement of the Regional Offices.
As part of the MoU, the National Department of Public Works will issue a formal instruction to the relevant Regional Offices to audit the building, check inter-alia the conditions of the electrical wiring, water supply (internal reticulation) of the buildings and the structural soundness, particularly the roof as soon as it has received a Certificate of Essentiality (CoE) from the Department of Defence.
The department together with the Contracting Officer’s Representative will do site inspections during the course of the renovation projects to ensure that all applicable National Building Standards and Regulations are being adhered to.
