On Thursday, 22 May 2025, Deputy Minister Mahambehlala, Northern Cape MEC for COGHSTA, Bentley Vass, were joined by Mayors, Speakers, Chief Whips and Municipal Managers from several municipalities across the Namakwa District, the Department District Development Model Champion and Senior Managers from the three spheres responsible for human settlements.
The Deputy Minister received a presentation on all Human Settlements Projects in the Northern Cape, including the R1 billion housing project launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2024, and apprised of the progress and successes, challenges and mitigating factors, that are implemented to ensure rapid delivery of houses to qualifying beneficiaries.
Deputy Minister Mahambehlala said “the engagements allowed for meaningful dialogue between the national, provincial, and local spheres of government. It was a chance to review progress, identify gaps, and reaffirm our shared responsibility to serve communities with integrity, urgency, and compassion”. Adding that these engagements “reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensure that no South African is left behind when it comes to accessing dignified and secure housing.”
MEC Vass said the province was heartened by this engagement and acknowledgement on the progress being made to provide and the tangible outcomes wherein informal settlements are being upgraded, stalled projects being unblocked and said “we’re grateful for the visit of the Deputy Minister as part of her oversight responsibilities, this will assist us as a province to deal with some of the challenges that we are experiencing and we remain committed to delivering quality houses to our people across the province to deal with the housing backlog’’.
Deputy Minister Mahambehlala said that ‘‘I am happy with the reports received today, on the progress made by the Department to house the nation. With the projects that are blocked, there is a lot of commendable work that is being done by the province thus we’re committed as the National Department to reinforce the work that is being done and we will come back for another session to see if the set timelines were achieved in terms of delivery of houses.”
The oversight visit concluded with a handover of 10 BNG houses in Soebatsfontein, the first phase of the project to construct 20 houses for indigent households in the Kamiesberg local municipality, with another ten houses in Paulshoek.
86 year old, widower, Mrs Ivan Christiaans of stand number 168, Soebatsfontein in Kamiesberg Local Municipality in the Namakwa District, Northern Cape was amongst beneficiaries of government subsidised houses i.e., BNG’s also referred to as RDP’s, following Deputy Minister Tandi Mahambehlala oversight visit to the Northern Cape Province to assess financial and non-financial performance of the human settlements’ portfolio.
MEC Vass commented during the handover of the houses that the visit was not only symbolic but a purposeful response to the lived experiences of the people in this community and Deputy Minister Mahambehlala added that “housing is not merely about infrastructure; it is a constitutional right, as enshrined in Section 26 of the Constitution and declared in the Freedom Charter that there shall be houses, security and comfort”.
Enquiries:
Tsekiso Machike
Spokesperson to the Minister
Cell: 077 410 5050
E-mail: Tsekiso.machike@dhs.gov.za
Tebogo Monyo
Spokesperson to MEC Vass
Cell: 060 376 7515
E-mail: media@nccoghsta.gov.za
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