KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements and Public Works MEC Jomo Sibiya has tabled a R4.123-billion budget for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements for the 2022/23 financial year as the province seeks to assist those affected by the devastating April floods.

The province was recently hard hit by floods that claimed the lives of more than 400 people and left many families displaced.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said the damage to infrastructure was estimated to be billions of rands.

Addressing the legislature, Sibiya said, “we are alive to the realities of climate change and its negative impact on human settlements”.

His department will embark on an extensive education awareness campaign working with the Council on Climate Change and other stakeholders.

“We will focus on driving the message for people not to build formal or informal structures on floodplains, next to river banks or any unsuitable land. The risk to all is very great and we have seen the damage that can be done,” said Sibiya.

Prior to the devastating floods in April 2022, Tropical Cyclone Eloise also affected various district municipalities in late January and February, 2021.

The Department of Human Settlements and Public Works has received funding of R102 590 072 for the construction of 1 592 temporary structures for the 2021 floods. The construction was completed and all funds spent within the 2021/22 financial year.

Outlining the budget allocation, Sibiya said the total allocation for the Human Settlements Development Grant was R2 935 224 and the allocation towards the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant R756 868.

An amount of R397 705 is ring-fenced for disasters that occurred during 2019 and 2020.

To date, the department has received R6.499-million for the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) grant for the 2022/23 financial year.

Sibiya committed that these funds would be fully utilised with the aim of creating temporary work opportunities and transferring skills to the unemployed in all housing projects.

To date the EPWP programme has created  5 821 work opportunities through Human Settlements projects. 1 344 of these opportunities benefited women, 3 228 benefited the youth and 23 opportunities went to disabled workers.

Of the 206 youth who were trained in the bricklaying and carpentry trades, 112 were female. They were employed under subcontractors.

The MEC provided a summary of what his department achieved in 2021/22, including the construction of 11 280 fully subsidized houses, with 8 735 houses built in rural areas and 5 748 sites serviced.

He shared that 4 762 households were provided with title deeds, as compared with the 2 900 title deeds that were issued the year before.

504 finance-linked individual subsidies were provided and 274 community residential units have been built.

Sharing the issues related to the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme, the MEC said that a total of 504 households were assisted in the 2021/22 financial year.

To increase the supply of middle-income/affordable market housing to meet the high demand, the Department of Human Settlements and Public Works will be engaging with private sector developers and other stakeholders, such as financial institutions, large employers and housing stokvels.

Outlining housing assistance for military veterans, Sibiya said that the project was gaining momentum and encouraged those in the rural areas to accept the houses.

The construction process has begun with six houses in the uMkhanyakude district.

The technical assessment of the sites provided by eThekwini Metro is underway.  

Msunduzi municipality has also offered approximately 125 sites for the Military Veterans Housing Programme.

There are 300 additional sites to be released by Msunduzi municipality at various stages of planning.

Sibiya committed to ensure speed and efficiency in the rollout of human settlements.

“This speed and efficiency, especially our immediate interventions following the floods, is undoubtedly due to the hands-on and painstaking efforts and guidance by the African National Congress, our President Cyril Ramaphosa and our Premier Sihle Zikalala,” he said.