Please note Riona Gokool, MPL sound bite in English
– Only 90 out of 505 houses built after eight years
– R56million spent to date
– Families must receive the houses they were promised
Despite more than R120million being allocated to uThukela’s Umbulwane Area H housing project, only 90 out of a planned 505 housing units have been completed, leaving hundreds of deserving families waiting for almost eight years.
The situation, recently outlined (view here) to KZN’s Human Settlements portfolio committee, is of deep concern to the Democratic Alliance, particularly since R56million has already been spent.
While the province’s Department of Human Settlements (DHS) cites flooding, funding constraints and vandalism as reasons for the delays, these challenges cannot become permanent excuses for poor delivery.
Repeated vandalism of sewer pump stations and electrical infrastructure also highlights the urgent need to secure critical public assets. Infrastructure cannot be built at great public expense only to be left vulnerable to criminal damage, delaying housing delivery even further.
Though the establishment of a Task Team and a commitment by uThukela District Municipality to repair the sewer infrastructure are positive developments, residents deserve measurable results and firm deadlines.
The DA calls on the DHS to:
• Publish a detailed recovery plan with monthly milestones and clear completion dates.
• Fast-track the repair and security of all sewer pump stations and associated electrical infrastructure.
• Improve coordination between the department, uThukela District Municipality and Alfred Duma Local Municipality to eliminate bureaucratic delays.
• Prioritise funding to ensure the project is completed without further interruptions and;
• Provide quarterly public progress reports so that beneficiaries can monitor delivery and hold the DHS accountable.
These families deserve the dignity of a place to call home and cannot continue to pay the price for weak planning, inadequate infrastructure protection and poor coordination between government departments. They deserve efficient government, responsible management of public funds and quality housing delivered without delays.
The DA, as a responsible partner within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) will continue to exercise robust oversight to ensure this project is completed, public money is protected and every beneficiary receives the home they have been promised.