BY REGINALD KANYANE
The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Local Government and Human Settlement has raised serious concerns about the Local Government and Human Settlements department’s lack of progress on the allocation of houses to the military veterans in the province.
Portfolio committee chairperson, Motlalepula Rosho said this came after the committee held an oversight meeting with the department and North West Housing Corporation over their 1st Quarter reports for the financial year 2016/17 and 1st draft of the Annual Performance Plan (APP) for the 2017/18 financial year.
Rosho said although the matter of the backlogs on allocation of houses to the military veterans was seriously raised in the previous financial year where the draft of the current APP was discussed, the department continuously fail to provide houses to the military veterans.
“It is unfortunate that out of the 142 houses that the department plans to build in the current financial year, they cannot inform the committee about the number of houses built in the 1st quarter of 2016/17 financial year. There is lack of progress on this strategic government policy that was pronounced by the minister of Defence and Military Veterans and North West province.
“The government policy has not implemented it accordingly and timeously as some of the veterans feel undignified by the government. It cannot be correct that in Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality where there are a lot of struggle icons, no housing unit on this programme has been constructed whilst a plan of 60 units was done by the department, but only 15 beneficiaries were reported to qualify,” she said.
Rosho also said the department must accelerate housing projects including areas such as Welgevonden, Kwa Mogopa and Makweteng villages in the then Ventersdorp local municipality now LM 405, where the elderly complained about RDP houses that are prioritised to young people.
“Some of the elderly in these areas have not received their houses yet they submitted applications as far back as 1998,” she said.
Rosho added that the committee was concerned that there are no close-up reports on the municipalities that were under provincial government’ Section 139 (1)(b) interventions.
“The committee needs to assess whether there was value for money and any positive outcomes on these interventions in municipalities such as Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality, Maquassie Hills, Ventersdorp and Ditsobotla local municipalities.
“In the 1st quarter ended on June 30, 2016, the department spent 23% of the planned 25% of budget which constitutes to R598 372 million. It also oversaw the implementation of the Back to Basics principles and supported the institutionalization of performance management systems in all the 22 municipalities in the province,” she said.
North West MEC of local government and human settlements department, Galaletsang Gaolaolwe said the department will engage the with department of Defence and Military Veterans on how to accelerate allocation of houses to the military veterans.
“The department’s main challenge is on the criteria used to allocate houses to the veterans as many do not qualify. The veterans cannot be subjected to ordinary people’s criteria on allocation of houses,” Gaolaolwe said.
She said they will submit a close-up report on the municipalities that were under provincial government’ Section 154 and Section 139 (1)(b) interventions.
Gaolaolwe added that the department will approve extension of housing contracts to fast-track housing deliveries.
“We will also engage and assist municipalities to issue clearance certificates so that we can deliver title deeds to new home owners. On the construction of Provincial Disaster Management Centers, we have requested additional funding from the Provincial Treasury to complete them,” she said.
The North West Housing Corporation (NWHC) spent 14 percent of the 25 percent budget which constitutes to R3, 24 million. The Chairperson of the board, Kgalalelo Tlhaole said the incurred expenditure in the 1st quarter was mostly due to the compensation of employees, transfer payments, and goods and services.
“We are in a process of negotiating with the municipalities on payment arrangements for outstanding property rates,” Tlhaole said.
Rosho urged the department to submit a close-up reports on the municipalities that were under provincial government’ Section 139 (1)(b) interventions in the North West Housing Corporation should within 14 days.
She also said they must submit a turnaround plan on how they will accelerate performance in the 2nd quarter.
The Guardian 