The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements has concluded a successful oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal where it had a mixture of observations. Based on that, the committee has urged all spheres of government to work towards addressing challenges while consolidating areas of strength.
"The committee observed that there remains various challenges that impact the timely delivery of projects and the quality thereof. What is important to us is to ensure that beneficiaries receive quality houses and officials must redouble their efforts to find workable solutions to all the challenges," said Mr Nocks Seabi, the Chairperson of the committee.
Some of the challenges identified include the difficulty in accessing the Emergency Housing Fund at municipal level. The committee remains of the view that the fund must be flexible and responsive to the urgent need that arises when a natural disaster happens.
"Disasters in their nature require a rapid response that presuppose flexible system which doesn't exist currently. The committee welcomed the assurance that a meeting of the Minister of Human Settlements and MECs from provinces agreed on concessions aimed at alleviating challenges. These concessions include allowing municipalities to directly respond in minor disasters," Mr Seabi said.
Another major concern for the committee was the lack of standardisation of houses in the different municipalities. The committee noted with concern that in some municipalities, such as KwaDukuza Local Municipality, projects delivered houses of better quality despite utilising the lower subsidy quantum. The sharing of best practices was needed to ensure the delivery of the desired quality.
Also, of concern for the committee, was the appointment in some instances of contractors that are unable to deliver projects timeously and within the available budget. "We have to strike the necessary balance between empowerment and delivery of quality houses. To achieve this, the provincial monitoring and evaluation unit must enhance their evaluation procedures to ensure constant monitoring of the project," Mr Seabi said.
The committee also emphasised that the provision of bulk services such as water and sanitation remain sacrosanct and cannot be overlooked. In line with this, the committee today visited the Banana City project in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and raised concerns over challenges that have arisen as a result of a dispute over provision of water and sanitation to residents in a transit camp as the housing project is implemented.
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The committee has instructed all stakeholders, including the national Department of Human Settlements, the provincial government and the municipality to engage residents and resolve some of the lingering challenges that are stifling the project and render it unable to continue. The committee has given the team seven days to present solutions to the challenges. Furthermore, the committee has emphasised that effective multisector planning is necessary to ensure that every project is connected to bulk services.
Despite some of the challenges, the committee applauded municipalities that are developing quality houses, albeit with reduced budgets. The committee appreciated municipalities that continue to adequately spend the appropriated budgets as those funds back up planned projects.
"We do not accept the return of funding to National Treasury as a result of man-made challenges that impede projects, our people have placed their hopes and aspirations on our shoulders and delaying the implementation of projects is tantamount to dereliction of duty," Mr Seabi emphasised.
The committee has called for the collaboration of all the spheres of government to ensure that projects are integrated and are provided with all the essential services. "The District Development Model proposes that planning should be integrated to improve coherence and impact of government service delivery. This is a model that all sphere must adopt with urgency," Mr Seabi concluded.
