R4.5bn wrapped up in ‘historically blocked’ housing projects

The Eastern Cape human settlements department has R4.5bn worth of “historically blocked” projects.

There are 156 of them comprising 48,961 units.

“In this financial year we are determined to spend R198m to unblock 1,121 housing units in 84 projects. These projects belong to the poorest of the poor and we plan not to start new projects until we have completed these blocked projects,” MEC Nonkqubela Pieters said.

Addressing the media in Bhisho this week, Pieters said shoddy workmanship, which over the years had rendered some government-sponsored RDP houses dangerous to occupy, would also be addressed in this financial year.

“The department, through a remedial works programme, which before was known as the rectification programme, is busy rectifying 1,217 units, with 135 of them in OR Tambo district, 118 in Amathole, 160 in BCM,  468 in Nelson Mandela Bay, while 142 units will be rectified in Sarah Baartman and 194 in Chris Hani, at a total value of R171m.”

Pieters said during the lockdown period which started in April, her department had provided more than 650 decent houses to the most vulnerable and destitute groups in all districts, saying  “we will continue to provide more houses during alert level 1 and beyond”.

Looking ahead, she has set aside R270m to upgrade 115 of 568 informal settlements across the province.

The informal settlements are in Alfred Nzo, Amathole, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi, OR Tambo and Sarah Baartman districts.

Human settlements MEC Nonkqubela Pieters addressed the media in Bhisho this week on the issue.

Pieters said informal settlements in the province's two metros, Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay, would not benefit from this initiative, as they had been catered for under the urban settlement development grant.

The MEC said her department would, in this financial year, also provide 4,506 houses to destitute citizens affected by Covid-19, at a cost of R630m. It also planned to construct 240 houses for military veterans at a cost of R47m.

Pieters said four informal settlements in Mbizana and Umzimvubu municipalities under Alfred Nzo district would see upgrades to the combined value of R22m in this financial year. Five local municipalities under the Amathole district would see 26 informal settlement serviced at the cost of R76m.

In OR Tambo district Pieters said 20 informal settlements would be upgraded to the value of R67m while in Chris Hani district, 19 informal settlements, situated in three municipalities in the district, would soon see an upgrade worth R49m.

Another 36 informal settlements in five councils in the Sarah Baartman district would be upgraded to the tune of R35m. In Joe Gqabi district it would cost R13m to upgrade 10 informal settlements.

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