THE third day of the Housing oversight visit was dedicated to reviewing progress and addressing challenges in housing projects in Masangwanaville (Block 40), Motherwell NU 12 C, and NU 30. Key participants included Honourable Makhaya Twabu, Chairperson and Honourable Avela Mjajubana, Whip from the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature Committee, and hMMC Thembinkosi Mafana, the Portfolio Head for Human Settlements.
The visit aimed at discussing the advancement of the projects, with a focus on confirming Ward Councillors and beneficiaries. Community members voiced concerns about the need for pegging to measure plots, providing electricity to completed houses, clearing stormwater drains, and fixing water leaks during rainy conditions.
Twabu emphasised the importance of collaboration among the Regional Head for Human Settlements, Zwelidinga Mkayitsana, Portfolio Head Thembinkosi Mafana, and Ward Councillors, urging them to meet with beneficiaries to develop better solutions. The goal is to resolve these issues before the next visit from Parliamentary leaders and members of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature Committee, scheduled for October 21 to 25.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality spokesperson, Sithembiso Soyaya, said housing administration and delivery have improved in the past two years. “However, challenges such as delays related to extortion, the pace of electrification, and land availability versus the backlog remain significant. This was revealed during an oversight visit by the Provincial Human Settlement Portfolio Committee to several housing projects in Nelson Mandela Bay,” he said.
For the current financial year 2024/25, the Metro has been funded to build 600 houses for R123 million. Currently, 126 houses have been constructed. Soyaya added that the Metro currently has a backlog of 126 000 houses and 184 approved informal settlements.
Speaking to the Metro councillors and officials, Portfolio Chairperson MPL Makhaya Twabu said he was pleased that the housing delivery programme in Nelson Mandela Bay was proceeding well. “We have identified a few minor challenges like delays due to projects being disrupted, poor coordination between relevant departments, and minor defects in a few houses. We are pleased that we were presented with solutions to these challenges,” said Twabu.
The MPLs recently visited a project in Chatty, in an area called Jachvlakte, where 275 houses have been completed with 52 remaining. The delegation later visited two housing projects in Kwanobuhle, three projects in Motherwell, and one in Khayamnandi in Despatch. Part of the oversight visits includes interacting with beneficiaries and those who are still on the waiting list to check their satisfaction with the quality of their houses and provide an update about housing delivery.
Mafana said he was encouraged by the visit of the Portfolio Committee. “This visit gives us an opportunity to improve the quality of the work that we do. It also assists in improving intergovernmental relations and cooperation in our quest to implement Human Settlements within the District Development Model (DDM),” he concluded.
