Parliament, Monday, 14 August 2017 – The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements has expressed serious concern over the North West province’s slow progress in delivering human settlements opportunities to its inhabitants.
“We are not happy about the situation here, in particular that this province has always been one of the best performing provinces in the delivery of human settlements opportunities. Something must be done to improve this picture,” said Committee Chairperson Ms Nocawe Mafu.
The Committee expressed concern about the province’s ability to meet its human settlements targets for the 2017/18 financial year after it emerged that most of the projects the province initiated have not been completed due to various challenges.
The MEC responsible for human settlements in the province, Ms Galaletsang Fenny Gaolaolwe, said some of the challenges were as a result of contractors’ inability to do the work on time. She also cited poor planning, saying some of the houses were built without provision for sewerage, water and electricity connections. Human resource capacity was also cited as another reason, due to the many people in acting management positions.
The Committee visited four projects in the Ngaka Modiri Molema district and witnessed these challenges in the Mahikeng Community Residential Unit, a project that was completed in December 2014, but will only be occupied in September 2017. The Committee also witnessed the challenge of houses without sewerage and electricity infrastructure during its visit to the Rooigrond RDP project.
Ms Mafu said the Committee was cautiously optimistic about the province’s commitment to meet its target of about 12 000 housing unit for this financial year, considering that it failed to meet the first-quarter targets.
The Committee further directed the provincial department of local government and human settlements in the province to form part of the national department’s delegation when they table the second quarter report in Parliament in October. “Having the province in our quarterly meetings with the national department will ensure the province accounts for its performance directly to the Portfolio Committee and stops hiding behind the national department,” said Ms Mafu.
Tomorrow, Tuesday 15 August, the Committee will be in Klerksdorp, inspecting projects in the Matlosana municipal boundary. Tomorrow’s programme will start with a briefing from the municipality at the Matlosana municipal council chambers from 09h00.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, MS NOCAWE MAFU
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