The North West Department of Human Settlements, Public Safety & Liaison is to embark on province-wide engagements with municipalities and housing developers to accelerate housing delivery as it intensifies zero tolerance of shoddy work in its housing projects. The first meeting involving all housing stakeholders within the jurisdiction of Dr. Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District is to be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday 26 May 2011 in Vryburg.
In announcing the programme for the high-powered technical engagements to be led by Head of Department for the Human Settlements Branch, Thupi Mokhatla, MEC Desbo Mohono emphasised that the objective of the meetings is to strengthen monitoring of housing projects to enable her department to intervene appropriately and timeously in order to minimise the phenomenon of “blocked projects.”
“Our resolve to deal decisively with non-performance and poor workmanship in housing projects will inevitably result in termination of contracts in the interest of the homeless.” vows MEC Mohono.
The meetings are further aimed at strengthening working relations with all municipalities and developinga uniform plan of action to address housing delivery challenges facing communities.
The session for Dr Kenneth Kaunda District is scheduled for this Friday at 2:00 pm in Orkney while those for Ngaka Modiri Molema and Bojanala Districts are scheduled for2 June and 3 June respectively.
In her recent Departmental Policy Statement and Budget Speech, MEC Mohono had committed to promote housing as a key element of municipalities’ Integrated Development Plans (IDP’s). She said that her department has already offered financial assistance to several municipalities to review their housing plans.
Mohono said that her department had provided technicaland financial assistance to the value of R1,8 million to Molopo, Kagisano, Naledi, Ratlou, Mamusa and Moretele municipalities to develop their housing sector plans and that ten municipalities additional municipalities stand to benefit this current financial year.
The department hopes to conclude its process to review and update its Provincial Multi-Year Housing Development Plan for the delivery of 28 840 housing units over the next three years. The process is underway and is expected to be concluded before the end of this year.
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 391 0420
Fax: 018 381 0328
Mobile: 083 629 1987
E-mail: Lkgwele@nwpg.gov.za
