Note to Editors: Please note Riona Gokool, MPL sound bite in English
The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Human Settlements (DHS) 4th Quarter Performance Reports (view here) have revealed a litany of issues, particularly when it comes to the resettlement of flood victims and numerous stalled projects across the province.
The information, presented by departmental officials to KZN’s Human Settlements portfolio committee last week, shows that the DHS;
• Underperformed on 18 of its 50 indicators (36%)
• Only achieved or exceeded on 50% of its targets
• Did not deliver any serviced sites under multiple programmes and;
• Failed to resolve dozens of blocked projects, many of which have been stagnant for more than a decade.
The DA is outraged by the continued deterioration of services by this department. Despite a constitutional obligation to ensure access to adequate housing, it continues to fail dismally on its core mandate.
The findings come as more than 1 200 families, displaced by KZN’s 2022 and 2025 floods, remain in Transitional Emergency Accommodation (TEA’s) at sites including Outspan and Lagoon Centre. To date, despite the department’s repeated promises, not one home has been delivered to KZN’s flood victims. This while the DHS spent an exorbitant R185million on rentals.
Added to this poor performance is the DHS’ growing list of stalled and mismanaged housing projects, many dating back to the early 2000’s. These include;
• Charlestown Housing Project (Amajuba): Blocked due to a lack of bulk water since 2019, with only 295 of 1 200 homes delivered
• Cedara Housing Project (uMgungundlovu): Only 100 out of 623 homes delivered due to limited bulk service capacity
• Chief Albert Luthuli and Ethafeni Projects (iLembe): The projects, which date back to 2004/2005, were abandoned mid-way due to poor performance and missing beneficiaries and;
• Umzinto Slum Clearance (Ugu): Only Phase 1A delivered with further work halted due to inadequate sanitation infrastructure.
These projects represent billions of rands in public funds and affect thousands of intended beneficiaries, yet the department has provided no clear roadmap for completion.
KZN’s DHS is failing the very people it is meant to serve. From neglected flood victims, to stalled developments, to wasted millions on temporary shelters, the department is not just falling short – it is spiralling into collapse.
As a member of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA calls for the following;
– A comprehensive action plan for all blocked projects, with district-specific timeframes
– A special audit into all TEA rental expenses and flood resettlement delays
– The release of a quarterly title deeds dashboard to track delivery
– A moratorium on new projects until current backlogs are resolved and;
– Transparency on fund reallocation decisions, particularly those relating to disaster response and resettlement.
The DA will continue to fight for the rights of every individual waiting for a safe, dignified home. We will use every legislative mechanism available to ensure delivery – not just talk – to the people of our province.