Gauteng Human Settlements misses 70% of targets due to lack of accountability

28 May 2023

Gauteng residents live in appalling, inhumane, and unsanitary conditions, while the Department of Human Settlements, tasked with providing dignified houses, misses 70% of its targets.

The department continues to underachieve due to repetitive underspending, poor governance and questionable decision making.

This information was obtained in the Human Settlements Committee Oversight Report on the Department's 3rd Quarterly Performance for the 2022/23 financial year.

Timelessly, poor workmanship by unqualified contractors has led to poor management and implementation of projects with little quality control evident in the department.

Out of 31 targets, 9 were achieved, leaving performance areas like the Urban Renewal programme, hostel redevelopment, acceleration of the Rapid Land Release, prioritisation of incomplete and abandoned projects, job creation opportunities, upgrading of informal settlements and the Gauteng Partnership Fund stagnant in growth.

Furthermore, the following main delivery programmes have underspent on their allocated budgets:

- Programme 1: Administration was allocated R188 764 000.00, and the department spent R116 376 000.00, registering an underspending of 38%.

- Programme 2: Housing needs, Planning and Research, were allocated R6 267 000.00, and the department spent R4 256 000.00, registering an underspending of 68%.

- Programme 3: Housing Development was allocated R1 224 791 000.00, but the department spent R655 185 000.00, registering an underspending of 46%.

- Programme 4: Housing Assets Management and Property Management was allocated R63 944 000.00, but R48 542 000.00 was spent, registering an underspending of 24%.

This is tragic considering that the expected outcomes, which include improved audit outcomes, good corporate governance, improved housing delivery and a responsive organisational structure, have not materialised.

The DA proposes that the department adopt a process of organisational restructuring with more effective and realistic target setting, together with effective performance monitoring, to ensure the rollout of projects within achievable timelines.

We strongly urge Gauteng's MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile, to prioritise accountability within the department by implementing more effective and realistic target setting, enhancing monitoring practices, and placing utmost importance on operational accountability.

Residents of Gauteng cannot continue to suffer while waiting for service delivery due to unresolved systematic challenges.

Issued by Mervyn Cirota, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements and Infrastructure Development, 29 May 2023