Due to the directive by the National Department of Human Settlements and budgets cuts during the 2020/21 financial year, the provincial Department of Human Settlements in the Western Cape has adjusted its planned sites for the 2021/22 financial year from 5 650 to 3 221, bringing about a total reduction of 2 429 sites.
The directive issued by Minister Lindiwe Sisulu in November 2020 instructed provincial governments to downscale their respective delivery of housing projects as national government allegedly struggled to find the funding it needs, in spite of consistent bailouts of SOEs and overspending on fraudulent PPE deals in other parts of the country.
In response to my parliamentary questions to the Provincial Minister of Human Settlements in the Western Cape, Tertius Simmers, it has been revealed that the instructions by the national government will have a severe impact on all projects in the pre-planning, planning and packaging stages. Fortunately, sites where contractional commitments are in place will continue to completion.
MPP Matlhodi Maseko says: “The directive by national Human Settlements means that the provincial department has to halt its plans for thousands of sites and readjust its 2021/22 Human Settlement Development Grant Business Plan which it submits to national government. Between the first and second draft of the Business Plan, the Garden Route will see 1 869 fewer housing opportunities, while the Cape Winelands and the City of Cape Town will respectively yield 776 and 440 fewer housing opportunities.
However, we do welcome the provincial Department’s proactive response by engaging with both the City of Cape Town and all municipalities to consider alternative accommodation options, currently being costed. I will seek further clarification on this from the Minister after the next Ministers and Members of Executive Councils Meeting (MINMEC), where he pledges to raise counter-proposals.
The construction and servicing of homes for qualifying beneficiaries is costly and time-consuming effort and the move by the national department currently ties the hands of the province in its work to deliver safe and dignified housing opportunities.”
The DA in the Western Cape will continue to work towards the delivery of safe and dignified housing opportunities for qualifying beneficiaries.
