Note to Editors: Please note Riona Gokool, MPL sound bite in English
The DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has called for urgent answers around continued delays, escalating costs and incomplete delivery of the Thubalethu Extension 512 Housing Project in Mthonjaneni Municipality, almost a decade after its inception.
Despite more than R100million having already been spent since 2017, the Thubalethu housing project remains largely stalled while hundreds of intended beneficiaries continue to live under undignified conditions.
While Phase 1A has seen 166 units completed and occupied, an additional 270 houses in Phase 1B remain incomplete and unsecured. Basic fittings such as plumbing, electricity, doors and ceilings have not been installed due to fears of theft and vandalism, with more than 430 houses only partially constructed to roof level.
In addition, key infrastructure remains glaringly absent with not a single cent of the R60 million allocated for bulk water infrastructure having been spent to date. Equally, sewer systems, a reservoir, road access and sufficient electricity supply are all either incomplete or delayed. This while local and district municipalities have cited financial constraints and poor planning coordination.
The project – initially approved in 2012 to eradicate informal settlements – has become yet another example of a “blocked project” – a distressing term that has become all too common in South Africa’s housing landscape.
While the June 2023 establishment of a so-called “Crack Team” by KZN’s Department of Human Settlements (DHS) – to resolve project bottlenecks – was a welcome step, it has yet to produce tangible outcomes for residents on the ground. To add to their misery, the latest completion date has now been pushed back to 31 March 2029.
As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA has called for the following immediate actions;
– Full transparency from the KZN’s DHS regarding all contracts, expenditure and progress on the Thubalethu project
– An audit and consequence management process for delays and any possible financial mismanagement
– Acceleration of bulk infrastructure rollout, particularly water, sewer, and electricity connections and;
– Engagement with local communities to prevent further vandalism and to involve beneficiaries in safeguarding the site.
The people of Mthonjaneni deserve better. It is unacceptable that after all these years and with more than R100million spent, hundreds of families are still waiting for the homes they were promised. The DA will continue to monitor this matter closely and demand accountability at every level of government involved.