Human Settlements Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has assured the community of Colesberg in the Northern Cape that government will intervene in blocked and incomplete housing projects.
“In an effort to deliver more houses in the Northern Cape, the Department of Human Settlements is considering increasing the budget allocation of the Provincial Department of Human Settlements in the next financial year, 2023/2024,” Kubayi said.
Kubayi made the commitment during a District Development Model (DDM) Community Imbizo and Service Fair at the Toto Mayaba Stadium, in Colesburg, on Thursday.
The Imbizo was part of government interventions to improve and accelerate service delivery through the District Development Model.
It aimed to unpack governmental programmes and plans to enhance integrated service delivery and job creation opportunities, as well as engaging the community members on the provision of basic services, including water and sanitation and human settlements.
Kubayi, who is the District Champion of Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality, said there has been a decision taken at a recent meeting with MECs that senior citizens will be prioritised going forward.
“Elderly citizens from 70 years old should be on top of our beneficiary housing waiting list. These are our mothers and fathers that raised us. They deserve our utmost attention,” the Minister said.
The engagement with communities from various municipalities followed a meeting attended by all three spheres of government.
Kubayi also visited housing project sites which remain incomplete. This included, among others, the Oubox Housing Project located in the Umsombonvu Municipality.
Some of the incomplete housing units have either been vandalised or illegally occupied.
The Minister warned against the illegal occupation of houses, as it disadvantages the rightful owners and can have “serious legal consequences for offenders.”
Outlining government’s interventions to improve and accelerate service delivery through the DDM, a concerned Kubayi said it is unfortunate that houses have remained unfinished since 2016 and there is a risk that some of them may end up being used for criminal activities.
“We have agreed that National and Provincial Departments of Human Settlements will work together to finish the work started, but most importantly, we must pay more attention to increasing the number of homes built to cater for people who qualify, alongside other amenities,” the Minister said.
During Imbizo, the Minister, together with Northern Cape Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs MEC, Bentley Vass, Pixley Kaseme District Municipality Mayor, Rhoode Itumeleng, Umsobomvu Local Municipality Mayor, Mzwandile Toto, and Emthanjeni Local Municipality Mayor Lulamile Nkumbi also handed over title deeds to the beneficiaries of the fully subsidised government houses.
The three spheres of government committed to urgently deal with other service delivery issues raised by the community members.
Source: South African Government News Agency