Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, has urged provinces to utilise the R13.4 billion allocated to them to improve the quality of service delivery on the ground in this financial year.
The national Department of Human Settlements has revealed in its preliminary expenditure report for the first quarter (April to June 2021) that R3.3 billion, against a target of R4.2 billion, has been transferred to the provinces.
“In addressing the multiple socio-economic challenges and ensuring the real needs of poor communities are met, the provinces must deliver on their set planned targets, spend their budget allocations to provide affordable housing opportunities, and avoid a situation in which some of their resources are reallocated to other well performing provinces,” the Minister said.
She urged provinces to ensure that they deliver what is expected of them.
The Minister has further directed the department’s Director-General, Mbulelo Tshangana, and the Chief Financial Officer, Funani Matlatsi, to meet with all the provinces that are showing signs of not being able to spend their budget allocations.
“This intervention is aimed at ensuring that all the provinces deliver on their mandated human settlements annual targets,” the Minister said.
In the past financial year, an amount of R588 million had to be reallocated to other provinces.
Over the years, the department has exercised oversight in ensuring that the budget allocation is spent accordingly.
“Some of the measures that have been implemented include reallocating funds from poor performing provinces to high performing ones that had the ability to absorb additional funds.
“The provinces that had benefited include KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Mpumalanga and Gauteng,” the Minister said.
Sisulu called on stakeholders in the human settlements sector, including implementing agents, contractors and community members, to work together with the department to improve the quality of life of poor South Africans and deliver housing opportunities to the neediest.
Source: South African Government News Agency