• Only 1 165 of 3 020 units built as thousands of families wait
• Project has been on hold for nine months
• DA will continue to demand delivery
Please note Riona Gokool, MPL sound bite in English
The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has called for urgent intervention to rescue Madeni’s long-delayed Inyoni Housing Project. This, as thousands of families continue to wait for homes despite substantial public investment.
The call comes after an oversight inspection by the province’s Human Settlements portfolio committee, held last week.
The Inyoni Housing project was approved for 3 020 units, yet only 1 165 units have been completed. A further 348 outstanding units from earlier phases also remain incomplete, while construction of top structures has stalled following the voluntary withdrawal of the implementing agent in 2025.
Of particular concern is that the project has already experienced approximately nine months of stoppage. This, while KZN’s Department of Human Settlements (DHS) conducts the procurement process to appoint an engineer to assess outstanding work.
While the department has advised that this assessment will form the basis for appointing a new service provider, the technical assessment only expected to be completed by November 2026.
The department must start treating housing projects as an urgent service-delivery responsibility. Mandeni residents cannot be expected to accept endless delays, changing contractors and bureaucratic processes while their houses remain unfinished.
The DA calls for;
• A time-bound recovery plan with clear milestones for completing the outstanding units.
• Urgent conclusion of the engineering assessment and procurement of a replacement contractor.
• Transparent reporting to beneficiaries on timelines, costs and responsibilities.
• Stronger contract management to prevent implementing-agent failures from paralysing projects.
• Immediate measures to protect completed houses from vandalism and illegal occupation.
• Accelerated beneficiary-list cleansing and title-deed processes to ensure completed homes reach legitimate beneficiaries.
The project is also facing illegal land encroachment, missing beneficiaries, illegal house sales and financial constraints. While 683 title deeds have been transferred, 186 remain uncollected and a further 482 still require transfer.
Every unfinished house at the Inyoni Housing Project represents a family left in limbo. The DA, as a responsible partner within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) will continue to demand accountability, measurable deadlines and delivery.