For Marta Jacobs, the launch of a housing project in her community a decade ago brought hope for a better future. Yet 10 years later, she and her family still live in a makeshift corrugated iron shack, exposed to the elements, while the incomplete structure meant to be their home stands as a daily reminder of unfulfilled promises.
The housing project, initiated during the 2014/15 financial year in Extension 7, Delareyville (Ngaka Modiri Molema District), is one of several “blocked projects” in the North West Province. This week, the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements conducted an oversight visit to assess the status of the development.
“I am happy that you have visited my home and hopefully I will finally receive a completed house that me, my children and grandchildren will enjoy,” Ms Jacobs told the committee, holding back tears. “It is painful to look at this incomplete structure every day while we stay in this shack.”
Committee Chairperson Mr Nocks Seabi urged the Provincial Department of Human Settlements to urgently prioritise the completion of the remaining 38 unfinished homes in the project. He also called on the National Home Builders Registration Council to expedite the structural integrity assessment necessary to advance procurement and construction.
In response, the provincial department informed the committee that it is now reallocating 80% of its budget toward completing blocked projects across the province. The committee welcomed this commitment but emphasised the need for timely and compliant execution.
Tswaing Local Municipality Mayor, Councillor Norah Mahlanghu, echoed the community’s frustration. “We plead with the department to prioritise this area and ensure that these houses are finished. It is painful to watch these homes in their current state. People are always asking when they will be completed,” she said.
The committee also visited Extension 8, where it discovered that newly built houses are not connected to bulk water and sanitation infrastructure – leaving beneficiaries without basic services. The committee stressed the importance of comprehensive planning to prevent such oversights.
The oversight visit included stops in Delareyville, Steelpan, and Mahikeng, as part of the committee’s broader week-long inspection of housing developments in the province.
As the committee concluded its visit, Ms Jacobs remained hopeful: “With tears streaming down, I pray this intervention finally brings the results I’ve waited for over the past 10 years.”
Malatswa Molepo
15 October 2025
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