R1.1 Billion Mpumalanga High Court Building Declared Unsafe

The Mpumalanga High Court building in Mbombela, which cost approximately R1.1 billion to construct and officially opened in 2019, has come under scrutiny after being declared unsafe just a few years after opening.

In 2024, government inspectors identified a number of serious problems at the building, including sewage leaks, a leaking roof, poor air quality, unhygienic conditions and offices without windows.

The Department of Labour subsequently instructed the Department of Justice to vacate the building, citing concerns over the health and safety of people working in and using the facility.

Concerns about the building, however, reportedly date back to before its official opening. The City of Mbombela had already raised warnings in 2019 that the facility did not comply with all the required standards.

Despite the concerns, the building continued to operate, with questions now being raised about how a facility that cost taxpayers around R1.1 billion could develop such significant problems so soon after completion.

By 2026, Parliament was still monitoring the situation, with several of the reported defects yet to be fully resolved.

The situation has raised concerns over construction quality, project oversight and accountability for public funds, particularly given the scale of the investment in the court facility.