• Aquadene housing project almost four years behind schedule.
• Nine completed houses demolished at Empangeni Mega Housing Project.
• DA proposes solutions to unblock vital housing projects.
(Please note Riona Gokool, MPL sound bite in English)
Recent oversight inspections in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) have exposed two King Cetshwayo District Municipality housing project failures due to systemic delays, lack of cooperation between various government departments and poor execution.
One of these is uMhlatuze’s Aquadene Housing Project which was due for completion in December 2022. Today, top-structure construction on 2 194 serviced sites remains stalled due to uncoordinated bulk infrastructure provision and a massive R540 million funding gap.
Delays are largely the result of miscommunication and a lack of collaboration between KZN’s Department of Transport (DoT) and uMhlathuze Municipality. This, while underground infrastructure has fallen victim to vandalism, draining public funds through avoidable repairs.
Meanwhile, at the nearby Empangeni Mega Housing Project, nine completed housing units have had to be demolished due to poor workmanship and non-compliance with the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) safety standards, exposing severe gaps in departmental monitoring.
The message is clear – government entities must stop working in silos and embrace constructive, intergovernmental collaboration to deliver quality public infrastructure. To unblock these vital projects, the DA proposes the following solutions:
• Mandatory Intergovernmental Alignment: An urgent joint task team must be formed between the Departments of Human Settlements, Transport, Public Works, and uMhlathuze Municipality to align bulk funding and fast-track essential road and sewer upgrades.
• Strict Consequence Management: Immediate financial accountability and investigations into contractors and officials responsible for sub-standard construction – leading to unit demolitions – must be enforced.
The DA, as a constructive partner within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) will continue to drive accountability to ensure government departments work together and public funds deliver safe, viable homes to our communities.