Mpumalanga Permanent Delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) have raised concerns that the contractor who delivered poorly built houses in Emakhazeni Local Municipality was paid despite glaring structural defects that make some of the houses uninhabitable.
During a visit to the Siyathuthuka human settlement project, as part of the NCOP Provincial Week, the delegation was greeted by a stench from open drains, which residents said has persisted since 2014. In some of the houses, water leaks through the floor due to structural damage.
Residents said that in addition to water coming through the floors and leaking sewer drains, the houses were handed over without electricity and water, and residents illegally connected to these services. The roads are in a bad state, and residents claimed that streets are only fixed when there is a funeral.
The NCOP delegates questioned the Mpumalanga Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) and the Emakhazeni Local Municipality on how the contractor appointed to build low-cost houses was paid for the shoddy work. "This situation is a clear violation of section 10 of the Constitution (the right to dignity)," said Mr Khaya Ceza, a permanent delegate to the NCOP. "The MEC, HOD and the municipality must be held accountable for this."
The Acting Leader of the delegation, Mr Patrick Sibande, blamed the situation on poor planning and lack of monitoring. He called on the provincial government and municipalities to strengthen their monitoring tools and processes to avoid wasting money and delivering low-quality services. "Why pay a contractor for incomplete and shoddy work, and there are no consequences? If we had proper planning and monitoring, this could have been picked up earlier and resolved," said Mr Sibande.
The MEC for COGHSTA, Mr Speedy Mashilo, acknowledged the shortcomings. "We accept that there has been a mess, and we have already terminated the contract. Due process is underway to resolve the situation and make sure that our people live in dignity."
The delegation also conducted oversight visits to beneficiaries of the province's livestock development programme, Masibuyele Esibayeni, and the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS). PLAS is a programme that acquires farmland for agricultural redistribution to black farmers and provides support to integrate them into the commercial sector.
Delegates and members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature were encouraged by the efforts of the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, to implement poverty-alleviation and economic empowerment initiatives in the agricultural sector.
Sakhile Mokoena
20 November 2025
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