Premier
(a) What are the (i);details and (ii) ;names of all the legal firms that have been contracted by the Western Cape Government since January 2019, (b)(i) ;how much was each firm paid, (ii) ;what are the details of the matters in which they were involved, and (iii) ;what is the breakdown of the information per department and entity, and (c) ;what is the number of black legal firms that has been contracted by the provincial government?
(a);(i);(ii)The Western Cape Government (WCG), via the Branch: Legal Services, uses the Office of the State Attorney in Cape Town in litigation and legal advisory matters that require the provision of external legal services. It is only in exceptional cases, for example where specialist legal services are required, that external legal firms are appointed.
I have been informed that, since January 2019, and based on available information, only one department, namely the Department of Transport and Public Works appointed an external legal firm, Victoria Johnson and Associates, to provide specialist legal support to the contract manager in the management of the Conradie land availability and development agreement, Founders Garden/Artscape precinct development project, and Leeuloop precinct development.
(b);(i) Victoria Johnson and Associates came at a cost of R1,526,073.
(ii)Victoria Johnson and Associates provided specialist legal support to the contract manager in the management of the Conradie land availability and development agreement, Founders Garden/Artscape precinct development project, and Leeuloop precinct development
(iii) The Department of Transport and Public Works is the only Department that appointed an external legal form
(c) Service providers are not defined or appointed on the basis of race. Of relevance, is each service provider’s B-BBEE rating as per its score card. Victoria Johnson and Associates is an exempt Micro Enterprise that does not require B-BBEE certification.
