News24 reports that the Joint Standing Committee on Defence has called on the Department of Defence and Military Veterans to account for the refurbishment of the 1 Military Hospital in Tshwane.

On Friday, the committee complained that the defence department had shown complete disregard and unwillingness to account for the hospital's continuing repair and maintenance programme. "We are concerned that the defence department failed to brief the committee on the forensic report that they have been sitting on for about a year, citing that it is yet to be taken through the internal structures due to its sensitive nature. Also, the department has been unwilling to take action against senior staff members identified to have acted unlawfully in relation to the project," the chairperson of the committee, Cyril Xaba, indicated. Noting that there were concerns about the escalation of costs, construction and the cost of medical outsourcing, Xaba went on to say: "The committee remains of the view that the project is an unmitigated disaster, with the state continuing to spend millions in private healthcare due to the delays in completing the repair project." He added, however, that the committee welcomed the public works department's readiness to be held accountable and also welcomed its initiation of consequence management.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa at News24

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