The “dismal” state of housing delivery in the Eastern Cape needs national intervention, a public watchdog organisation said on Tuesday.
Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) researcher Chantelle de Nobrega said the province would not meet a nationally set target to eradicate informal settlements by 2014 without help.
“The Eastern Cape will contribute little towards achieving this target unless the national Department of Housing takes decisive steps to intervene and improve the dismal service-delivery record of the provincial department of housing, local government and traditional affairs,” De Nobrega said.
The department would get a 24% budget increase in 2007/08 to R1,57-billion — which included a 37,8% housing conditional grant increase and a 34,26% increase for housing.
However, money was not the answer to “the housing delivery crisis”, said De Nobrega.
Third-quarter spending results for 2006/07 had demonstrated the department’s “inability to effectively manage its finances and spend money allocated to it for the building of houses”, she said.
By the third quarter, the department had spent 49,32% of its budget when it should have spent roughly 75%, she said.
In addition, only 38,2%, or R291-million of its R762-million conditional grant allocation, had been spent by the same period.
“Increasing its budget is therefore unlikely to result in more houses being built.”
Long-standing systemic problems included poor planning, monitoring and evaluation systems, and weak human-resource management, De Nobrega said.
Most of the province’s 400 housing projects in the province were “blocked” or stalled, as recently indicated by the provincial treasury’s superintendent general, Professor Newman Kusi.
“The department has done little to progressively realise access to adequate housing,” said De Nobrega.
“Without national intervention, it will do little to contribute to the ambitious target of 2014.”
National Housing department spokesperson Monwabisi Maclean said the department would look at the issues raised by PSAM, the province’s performance and whether a need for intervention existed.
“The department works with all the provinces at various levels and on various issues,” he said.
The provincial department’s spokesperson, Mbulelo Linda, said the department was addressing a number of housing issues.
These included blocked housing projects, municipal-capacity shortfalls and emerging contractors.
“We’re on track in terms of dealing with the problems that we have highlighted,” he said.
Both departments said they had not seen the PSAM statement. — Sapa
Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) researcher Chantelle de Nobrega said the province would not meet a nationally set target to eradicate informal settlements by 2014 without help.
“The Eastern Cape will contribute little towards achieving this target unless the national Department of Housing takes decisive steps to intervene and improve the dismal service-delivery record of the provincial department of housing, local government and traditional affairs,” De Nobrega said.
The department would get a 24% budget increase in 2007/08 to R1,57-billion — which included a 37,8% housing conditional grant increase and a 34,26% increase for housing.
However, money was not the answer to “the housing delivery crisis”, said De Nobrega.
Third-quarter spending results for 2006/07 had demonstrated the department’s “inability to effectively manage its finances and spend money allocated to it for the building of houses”, she said.
By the third quarter, the department had spent 49,32% of its budget when it should have spent roughly 75%, she said.
In addition, only 38,2%, or R291-million of its R762-million conditional grant allocation, had been spent by the same period.
“Increasing its budget is therefore unlikely to result in more houses being built.”
Long-standing systemic problems included poor planning, monitoring and evaluation systems, and weak human-resource management, De Nobrega said.
Most of the province’s 400 housing projects in the province were “blocked” or stalled, as recently indicated by the provincial treasury’s superintendent general, Professor Newman Kusi.
“The department has done little to progressively realise access to adequate housing,” said De Nobrega.
“Without national intervention, it will do little to contribute to the ambitious target of 2014.”
National Housing department spokesperson Monwabisi Maclean said the department would look at the issues raised by PSAM, the province’s performance and whether a need for intervention existed.
“The department works with all the provinces at various levels and on various issues,” he said.
The provincial department’s spokesperson, Mbulelo Linda, said the department was addressing a number of housing issues.
These included blocked housing projects, municipal-capacity shortfalls and emerging contractors.
“We’re on track in terms of dealing with the problems that we have highlighted,” he said.
Both departments said they had not seen the PSAM statement. — Sapa
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