Tag Archives: Dr Zamani Saul

Vass meet with contractors appointed for 1 Billion Rand Housing project 

NEWS Leave a comment

Picture: Some of contractors appointed/Supplied

By OBAKENG MAJE 

13 March 2025- The Northern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Bentley Vass on Thursday, met with the Implementing Agents (IAs) and contractors appointed for the 1 Billion Rand Housing Project for the Northern Cape, launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, in January 2024.

Vass said the project was launched to address the huge housing backlog in the Northern Cape and will deliver a total of 2500 units as part of the first phase of the project, across 13 local municipalities, in the 5 districts of the province. He further said the meeting was part of ongoing engagements with the contractors to address delays in the building process that may delay the delivery of these houses to the beneficiaries.

“There is a need for contractors to accelerate the pace and to meet their contractual obligations and agreed timelines. We are not going to tolerate undue delays or shoddy workmanship, because our communities deserve good quality houses, sooner than later, from this government. 

“We are monitoring your performances closely across the five districts, and we are going to ultimately terminate non-performing contractors because we cannot continue at this slow pace,’’ said Vass.

He added that two Implementing Agents (IAs) and nineteen contractors, were appointed by the department in 2024 to be part of this project. Vass said the IAs are responsible for overseeing the entire project. 

“They committed to monitoring the contractors closely and to apply necessary proactive measures to prevent any delays,” he said.

taungdailynews@gmail.com

DA: ‘Focus on jobs and growth in Northern Cape requires greater urgency’

NEWS Leave a comment

Picture: The Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul

By BAKANG MOKOTO

6 March 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Northern Cape said the Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, must address growth and jobs in the province with even greater speed. The DA provincial leader, Harold McGluwa, who is also a Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL) in Northern Cape Provincial Legislature, said they have noted Saul’s announcement of the 60 000 jobs master plan in his State of the Province Address (SOPA) today.

McGluwa further said they welcome all initiatives that can take the four out of every ten people in this province from unemployment and poverty into jobs. He added that it is high time that they see the maximum potential of fisheries formally unleashed.

“We anticipate that the upgraded Upington airport must become a central transport hub. The long overdue upgrade of our power grid through the mentioned Eskom investment will also be a gamechanger for renewable energy and the green economy and must be stubbornly pursued.

“We do, however, urge Saul to move with greater speed. He has only four years left to change course from a poor, broken province, to a thriving and vibrant provincial economy,” said McGluwa.

He said they want to see the province capitalizing more on the state-owned construction company, in conjunction with provincial and national Public Works, to transform the provincial landscape, and especially the capital city of Kimberley, into a massive construction site with the R2,5 billion investment into water infrastructure. McGluwa said Saul must also guard against turning the state into a giant employment agency and must ensure that ongoing insourcing initiatives are properly budgeted for and sustainable in the long-term, to avoid a potential salary-induced debt crisis in the future.

“On the services front, much more must be done to stabilize the health department, starting with the overdue appointment of a fit-for-purpose Head of Department and decisive action against corrupt officials, who are robbing the poor and vulnerable of health care.

“Improved financial management must also be prioritised in Education, to mitigate the current funding crisis facing schools across the province,” he said.

taungdailynews@gmail.com