Limpopo Government faces criticism over housing backlog

LIMPOPO

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo has slammed the provincial government for its dismal performance in addressing the housing backlog, saying it will take two decades to eradicate the backlog of 96,495 units.

According to Lindy Wilson, DA Provincial Spokesperson for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) in Limpopo, the department’s alleged poor planning, maladministration, and corruption, have plagued the Human Settlements programme for over 15 years.

This alarming projection comes amidst a growing demand for housing and a dwindling budget.

Wilson’s sentiments are echoed by the dire living conditions of many families in rural Limpopo, where some are still forced to live in shacks and old mudded houses.

“The Department’s Human Settlements programme has been marred with poor planning, maladministration and corruption for more than 15 years. During the 2014 and 2019 period, the target to build 80 600 was prioritised by the department, but it failed miserably and returned more than R1.7 billion meant for housing back to Treasury Department,” Wilson said.

Wilson attributed the department’s failure to several factors, including poor planning, non-responsive bids, and non-performing contractors.

She also criticized the department for blaming municipalities and the lack of services for the backlog, saying this indicates poor planning and incompetence.

Wilson indicated that the party is calling for an independent audit into all housing projects over the last decade to identify defaulting contractors, retrieve or implement contractual penalties, and assess the quality of workmanship on projects.

Wilson emphasized that the aspirations of the poor and vulnerable cannot be held hostage by unscrupulous contractors and their complicit cadres in government.

“We urge COGHSTA MEC Basikopo Makamu to show zero tolerance for defaulting and incompetent contractors,” Wilson said.

She said the Social Housing units in other parts of the province, have been under construction for ten years, with the department citing poor performance by the principal agent and contractor as reasons for the delay.

“Despite exceeding the target to complete 4 555 housing units by 511 more houses built during the previous financial year, the provincial backlog continues to increase,” informed Wilson.

Her sentiments are echoed by ActionSA Party, which has also called for urgent intervention in the RDP housing crisis, including a forensic audit of pending applications and strict penalties for defaulting contractors.

The Limpopo government’s struggle to address the housing backlog is not an isolated issue, as other provinces like Gauteng also face significant challenges, with over 1.4 million people waiting for homes.

The national government has acknowledged the crisis, with Human Settlements Minister, Thembi Simelane, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions and collaboration with the private sector to address the issue.