KwaZulu-Natal’s housing woes continue to mount, with R100 million spent since 2017 on the incomplete Thubalethu housing project in Mthonjaneni Municipality (Melmoth).

Continued delays, escalating costs, and an incomplete delivery of the project are cause for concern, said Riona Gokool, the Democratic Alliance spokesperson on Human Settlements, on Thursday. 

According to Gokool, Phase 1A has seen 166 units completed and occupied, while an additional 270 houses in Phase 1B remain incomplete and unsecured.

She said that basic fittings such as plumbing, electricity, doors, and ceilings have not been installed due to fears of theft and vandalism, with more than 430 houses only partially constructed to roof level.

In addition, key infrastructure remains absent, with not a single cent of the R60 million allocated for bulk water infrastructure spent to date

“Equally, sewer systems, a reservoir, road access, and a sufficient electricity supply are all either incomplete or delayed. This is while local and district municipalities have cited financial constraints and poor planning coordination,” she stated. 

Gokool said that the project initially approved in 2012 to eradicate informal settlements has become yet another example of a “blocked project”, a distressing term that has become all too common in South Africa’s housing landscape.

Gokool called for: 

• Full transparency from the KZN’s DHS regarding all contracts, expenditure, and progress on the Thubalethu project.
• An audit and consequence management process for delays and any possible financial mismanagement.
• Acceleration of bulk infrastructure rollout, particularly water, sewer, and electricity connections.
• Engagement with local communities to prevent further vandalism and to involve beneficiaries in safeguarding the site.

According to a report presented to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Human Settlements Portfolio Committee, the housing project experienced various challenges that have hindered progress, with many of these being addressed or are currently being addressed.

Continuous delays in the completion of the project have resulted in vandalism and theft. 

According to the report:

• The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) and engineers identified non-compliance on some sites with specific reference to water seepage and retaining walls.
• The current electrical power for Thubalethu Township is not sufficient for the whole area of Melmoth. 
• The current area of Thubalethu and its surrounding areas does not have enough water, and the water scheme to source water from Phobane Dam is under way, but will reach the town of Melmoth and Thubalethu Township in four to eight years from 2021.

In June 2023, a Crack Team was formed by the KZN DHS to identify, resolve, and report on all matters that are causing the project to stall.

The team identified funding as a challenge for the design of the water purification plant. The finding was that the water borehole was level 2 and therefore needed to be purified to consumable level 0.

The department has since approved an additional amount of R60 million to build the reservoir and upgrade the sewer line to assist King Cetshwayo District Municipality in the provision of bulk services. The completion date is anticipated to be March 31, 2029. 

Human Settlements also identified these challenges: 

• Lack of commitment in municipalities in preparing housing sector plans/human settlement plans.
• Lack of capacity within municipalities.
• Lack of bulk services within municipalities; as such, it is difficult to implement urban housing projects.
• Delays in approving engineering designs.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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