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Abaqulusi Local Municipality: Over the past few days, we have witnessed the inauguration of councils in various municipalities across the province - including the most important town, Vryheid and surrounding municipalities.

This marks the beginning of the provision of solid services to communities who voted parties and independent candidates of their choice into office.

Sadly, we are already receiving calls from distressed communities complaining about mayors who are already attempting to interfere with housing projects.

As the department we extend an invitation to the municipalities to work with us to project a better image of our province. Speed, hard work and integrity remains the hallmark of our work.

We will continue to ensure an integrated approach involving all spheres of government to speed up the rollout of human settlements across the province.

Importantly, as the department, we have taken a deliberate decision to use the construction of houses as a catalyst for local economic development and job creation for local communities.

We remain determined to ensure that local emerging contractors are prioritized as part of driving radical economic transformation through the rollout of human settlements.

Through the department of Public Works, we will use expanded public works programme to ensure the training and employment of local youth during the construction. We invite new mayors to work with us in this regard.

We are firm behind our programme aimed at ensuring that rural areas become active social and economic centres. We want to create opportunities for people retrenched as a result of the devastation caused by COVID-19 to our economy.

Unfortunately, we have been contacted by communities complaining about a mayor that is already attempting to interfere with a housing project.  We call on communities to stand up against any form of human rights abuse. Access to housing is a basic human right.

It should be remembered that government, has for instance set aside housing projects totaling more than R1 billion for Nongoma Local Municipality alone.

We have an important housing project in Jozini Local Municipality for the construction of 300 houses with a budget of R40, 8 million.

In Big Five Local Municipality, housing projects with a budget of more than R40, 9 million is underway. We unfortunately found 76 houses shoddy that will be demolished and 101 that will be refurbished with a budget of R22 million.

We wish to warn other implementing agents that are constructing shoddy houses that we won’t hesitate to act.  We will blacklist them and ensure that we recover any cent paid to them.

In KwaMaphumulo Local Municipality, 1500 houses are being constructed with a budget of R44, 3 million.

We appreciate the support, from the national government, through the Minister of Human Settlements Mammakolo Kubayi. She is in support of our efforts aimed at putting to end all practices that results in housing projects that are forever under construction.

A housing project in Umthonjaneni Local Municipality is a classic example. People cannot wait any longer.  

We are firm behind a decision of taking away development status from municipalities that are failing to deliver houses to our people.

Critically, corruption associated with the allocation of houses and the overall administration of beneficiary list will receive our immediate attention.

We will never fold our arms when deserving community members are sidelined by rogue elements that are manipulating processes associated with the compilation of beneficiary list. We will never act swiftly against those attempting to stop human settlements projects.

We remain the custodian of the rollout of human settlements – therefore, the bark stops with us. We will never abdicate responsibilities given to us by the members of the public.

During the next term of office of local government, we offer to build new towns, not just houses.

The ANC government working with all municipalities will ensure that all new housing projects have social amenities, such as community halls, sports grounds, schools and clinics.

Communities wishing to report about out human settlements and public works matters must send me messages on my WhatsApp on 066 594 0353

Issued by the KZN MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works Jomo Sibiya