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The department of human settlements in the North West has already terminated about 15 developers who were found to be incompetent or charged with poor performance. The information was revealed during a meeting called by MEC Nono Maloyi and managers of Corporative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs on Sunday. Managers assured MEC Maloyi that more contactors will be terminated soon.

The termination of poor performing contractors was one of the key issues raised by Premier Bushy Maape during the state of the nation address last month. According to MEC Maloyi poor performance or non-delivery by appointed contractors delays service delivery, therefore making the department not to achieve on its mandate. MEC Maloyi further called on officials within the Human Settlements department to ensure that service providers are paid within 30 days. 

MEC Maloyi further commanded the Head of Department, Kgomotso Matlhobo to investigate the delay in payments of contractors and apply consequence management on those that could be found to have been sabotaging the process. “The more you delay payments on our service providers, the more you frustrate and collapse their business. And that will delay service delivery and that would also make the department not to achieve on its mandate. If found to be engaged in such activities, I will not hesitate to crack the whip.”

“Everything that we do in achieving our goal should be done within the prescripts of the law. Im going to ensure that whatever move we do, should be thoroughly verified and ensure that all regulations are followed. We must accelerate speed in delivering services” said Maloyi.

The meeting further resolve with recommendations, challenges that are experienced in different municipalities that obscure service delivery. Issues such as non-spending of municipal infrastructure grand by municipalities, the implementation of renewable energy in some areas across the province, provision of water infrastructure, provision of electricity, roads and many other services, were some of the major issues that the MEC emphasised on, that officials must fast track the provision of those services.

“We need to double our efforts in achieving our mandate. We made promises to the people of the North West and we must deliver. We can only achieve this by ensuring that we work as one as government. Every service provided by other departments must find expression in the whole provision of our services. We must give our people houses with basic services, ie water, electricity sewage, roads, and many other. We must at least achieve more than 90% of all the services that we said we were going to do” said Maloyi.       

Human Settlements management further expressed a serious challenge on blocked projects. Some of the projects dates back from as far as 2006 and the department has declared war on those, indicating that such projects needs serious assessment by the National Home Builders Regulatory Council.

Giving the line of March, MEC Maloyi called on officials in both Human Settlements and COGTA to ensure that appointed contractors will be on site as of April, to ensure that 2023/24 financial year commitments are achieved on time. He said that he wants to ensure that a positive progress is recorded on all the services that the department has been rendering. “I wants the two branches to work as one and ensure that the is clear coordination and that we are one department. By so doing we shall be able to overcome and fast tract delivery. Proper coordination of services is key as dictated by the District Development Model”, Said Maloyi.

However despite all the instructions the MEC has commanded, he expressed his disappointment in some of the areas of service delivery. He said that he was not pleased with performance and further urged officials to go on the ground and push developers to finish their projects.

Issued by North West Human Settlements