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Despite the 6th administration reconfiguration of departments in 2019, the North West Department of Human Settlements, which was also affected, is barely surviving. With three different MECs and two Acting MECs having been at the helm in two years, the alarm bells are ringing on this sinking ship.

Following a meeting on Thursday, 25 November 2021, with the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) discussing the departmental 2020/21 annual report, the findings from the Auditor-General (AG) was proof that this department is going nowhere, slowly.

Although housing in North West is critically short in supply, the Housing Development Programme failed to meet its targets yet again.

The Human Settlements Development programme spent 97% of the Grant but could not reach its targets.

The Annual Financial Statements submitted by the department had errors and were unreliable.

Irregular expenditure of R125,2 million from prior years has not been investigated, and the Department understated the current year's irregular expenditure by R169,4 million.

The AG also reported material irregularities including payments to Kings and Associate whereby their CEO received an overpayment of R2,9 million. Another irregularity of an overpayment of over R7 million was paid to a company called Barzani Development which is responsible for houses in Wolmaranstad.

The Department has not built any new housing projects in the financial year and is stuck with more than 32 blocked and incomplete housing projects throughout the province. This Department seems to be dwindling further into malfeasance with no plan in sight.

MEC Miga must not walk in the shoes of her predecessors, who allowed the ship to sink under their watch.

The DA will be requesting the MEC to supply a resuscitation plan as well as a detailed consequence management report.

Those responsible for the downfall of the department must be taken to task.

Issued by DA North West Spokesperson on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) Freddy Sonakile