The North West Corporate Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs Department has identified about 33 stalled housing projects in four districts of the province that they are hoping to unblock by the end of the current financial year.
This was revealed by MEC Oageng Molapisi who was speaking on YOUFM Newshour, where he also highlighted that some of the blocked projects were abandoned unfinished at the foundation phases by the contractors.
“The way the subsidy was handled previously was problematic, because before municipalities were responsible for building houses, they were given budgets but after the contractor is paid he leaves the projects unfinished.
“I learned when I arrived at the department that contractors used to make money by building foundations, e.g. if the contractor is awarded 200 housing contracts, he quickly builds 150 of them, makes money and leaves. Hence, we have so many stalled projects,” said Molapisi.
He committed his department to addressing the challenges of unfinished or blocked housing projects across the province despite the department budget cut.
“What we have done as part of the intervention is that we have reprioritized the blocked projects, taking the entire budget or at least 80% of it to deal with all blocked housing projects so that we address the challenges of housing backlog in the province and take the remaining 20% of the budget focus it to the new housing projects,” explained the MEC.
Molapisi argued that although the budget is not sufficient to unblock all the stalled projects in one financial year, they have identified 33 projects that need to be prioritised.
“I can confirm that we have identified challenges in each district, with outstanding stalled projects.
“We have a total number of blocked projects as the department for instance in Bojanala Platinum District we have six stalled projects comprising 186 units that we want to unblock.
“In Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District we have 12 projects with 170 units. In Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District we have three projects that are still unfinished with 59 units and finally in Ngaka Modiri Molema District we have 12 projects with 32 units.
“These are the projects that we are targeting, that we want to complete by the end of this current financial year so that we can focus on new projects,” vowed Molapisi.
Meanwhile, the MEC has commended the national and provincial government’s intervention in stabilising the situation at the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality in Zeerust and Ditsobotla Local Municipality in Lichtenburg.
“We stabilized Ramotshere Moiloa local Municipality, and I have appointed an Ad Hoc committee to investigate the political instability at the municipality.
“I have issued a letter nullifying the outcome of a council meeting that was held illegally and removed the mayor (Dinah Pitso) according to rules of order of the municipality.
We are still investigating who amongst our councillors could have instigated the move,” remarked Molapisi.
Furthermore, the MEC said the department had also intervened at the troubled Ditsobotla Local Municipality.
“In Ditsobotla, the cabinet has resolved to intervene through section 139 (7) of the constitution, deploying Kopung Ralikontsane as the National Cabinet Representative to the municipality.
“Remember our numerous interventions failed to change the situation following years of chronic mismanagement, corruption, and service delivery failures at the municipality,” Molapisi expanded.
He called on all councillors at all the 22 municipalities across the province to remember their responsibilities and mandate of their communities.