The North West Human Settlements department has reiterated its commitment to reduce the housing backlog and fast track the process of delivering houses to legible beneficiaries across the province.
The commitment was part of the resolutions taken during the recent strategic retreat session held in Rustenburg, where the department undertook to up the momentum and deliver on its mandate to close the gap that was created in the past three years.
Departmental Acting Head, James Mashigo, said the department has, in the past few weeks crisscrossed the province introducing over 30 contractors to municipalities, to start on new housing projects or to unblock blocked projects.
Mashigo said that among the major projects that has been on hold for some time include Bokamoso Project in Rustenburg, under Bojanala District.
The project is part of developing houses around the mining areas and to eradicate informal settlements.
“The objective of the project was to bring about sustainable human settlement in the area and provide around 4 000 fully serviced units. However, due to challenges brought by external and internal challenges, the project was put on hold,” Mashigo explained.
He said the department has so far managed to install internal services and further developed top structures.
According to Mashigo, the department has since taken a decision to install services first so that beneficiaries have full services, when moving in their houses.
“We have taken a different approach as a department to prioritise bulk services first to ensure that we hand over houses with full services. We do this in conjunction with local municipalities, mainly because they will have to further take care of the services.
“Dimakotso constructions has been appointed to complete the remaining 977 sites. In addition to the said appointment, the department is at an advanced stage in appointing the developer for 320 units and 200 units, which will complete the 1 600 units of Phase 1 for construction of the top structure,” Mashigo said.
He added that the department has also appointed developers in municipalities, including Moses Kotane where the construction of over 2 000 houses is expected.
Unblocking new projects for housing delivery
Mashigo said other municipalities that will see blocked projects unblocked and new projects started include Naledi, Ditsobotla, Lekwa Teemane, Maquasi Hills and others.
During her visit in North West last week, Human Settlements Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, made an undertaking to the community members that government’s priority in housing the nation will also focus on urgently unblocking projects for accelerated housing delivery.
The communities raised concern about various blocked projects in Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality.
The Minister also handed over 1 300 title deeds to beneficiaries of fully subsidised government houses in Itsoseng, Ditsobotla Local Municipality.
The provincial department has vowed to turn the province into a construction site and further create more jobs through all the projects.
It called on municipalities to work closely with appointed contractors to ensure that the projects are being completed on time, and local traditional leaders work closely with municipalities and contribute to the successful completion of houses for beneficiaries in tribal lands.
The department has also committed to put at the helm, women, child headed households, youth and people with disability, in terms of appointment of developers and beneficiaries.
Source: South African Government News Agency