Mayor Helen Zille and Local Government MEC Richard Dyantyi are once again set to cross swords over the housing crisis in Cape Town, with the declaration of an intergovernmental dispute in the offing.
This follows an opinion by Dyantyi that the city’s application for accreditation as a housing agent would not be the most effective way of addressing the backlog in Cape Town. More than 350,000 homes are needed.
Obtaining status as a housing agent would allow the City of Cape Town to tap directly into state coffers to build houses without having to work through the provincial government.
For the second time in as many months, Zille accused the provincial government last week of dragging its feet over approving the city’s application, submitted in November, to become a housing agent.
The national Department of Housing has made R1.2-million available for the City of Cape Town to establish capacity as an accredited housing agent.
The city says it has submitted a business plan, made the necessary changes and provided additional information at Dyantyi’s request several months ago.
Now Zille is outraged that Dyantyi has not yet granted authorisation for phase one of the accreditation.
The director of communications in the provincial Department of Local Government and Housing, Xolani Tyilana, told the Cape Argus that achieving accreditation was not a quick-fix solution to the housing crisis.
It could take the city “a number of years” to attain approval.
“At this moment accreditation does not present itself as the most effective and practical solution towards addressing the problems of the city,” he said.
“We need a more practical approach, with proper timeframes. A lot of work needs to be done. It is not just a question of saying yes or no. We need to engage each other.”
Dyantyi, who is out of the country, has asked Zille to a meeting to discuss entering into an “implementation protocol” that would commit the parties to working together on a matter of national priority.
Tyilana said there were too many unanswered questions about how the city would want to handle the building of houses and whether its plans would be in line with the national strategy.
Commenting on Dyantyi’s letter and the proposal to enter into an implementation protocol, Zille said: “They are kicking for touch.”
Zille said she would pursue steps to declare an intergovernmental dispute, which could see the parties having to go to court to resolve the impasse.
In his letter, Dyantyi says that by entering into an implementation protocol, the city and province would commit to the provision of a service in a specific area and to co-ordinating their actions.
“Such an agreement can be concluded within a relatively short period and would provide an effective solution to the immediate delivery pressures that are currently being experienced.
“It would present the City of Cape Town with more authority than would the level of accreditation that is being applied for.”
Dyantyi says that in entering into the implementation protocol, the city would not have to relinquish the grant funding that had been approved to enhance capacity as a housing agent. - Cape Argus
This follows an opinion by Dyantyi that the city’s application for accreditation as a housing agent would not be the most effective way of addressing the backlog in Cape Town. More than 350,000 homes are needed.
Obtaining status as a housing agent would allow the City of Cape Town to tap directly into state coffers to build houses without having to work through the provincial government.
For the second time in as many months, Zille accused the provincial government last week of dragging its feet over approving the city’s application, submitted in November, to become a housing agent.
The national Department of Housing has made R1.2-million available for the City of Cape Town to establish capacity as an accredited housing agent.
The city says it has submitted a business plan, made the necessary changes and provided additional information at Dyantyi’s request several months ago.
Now Zille is outraged that Dyantyi has not yet granted authorisation for phase one of the accreditation.
The director of communications in the provincial Department of Local Government and Housing, Xolani Tyilana, told the Cape Argus that achieving accreditation was not a quick-fix solution to the housing crisis.
It could take the city “a number of years” to attain approval.
“At this moment accreditation does not present itself as the most effective and practical solution towards addressing the problems of the city,” he said.
“We need a more practical approach, with proper timeframes. A lot of work needs to be done. It is not just a question of saying yes or no. We need to engage each other.”
Dyantyi, who is out of the country, has asked Zille to a meeting to discuss entering into an “implementation protocol” that would commit the parties to working together on a matter of national priority.
Tyilana said there were too many unanswered questions about how the city would want to handle the building of houses and whether its plans would be in line with the national strategy.
Commenting on Dyantyi’s letter and the proposal to enter into an implementation protocol, Zille said: “They are kicking for touch.”
Zille said she would pursue steps to declare an intergovernmental dispute, which could see the parties having to go to court to resolve the impasse.
In his letter, Dyantyi says that by entering into an implementation protocol, the city and province would commit to the provision of a service in a specific area and to co-ordinating their actions.
“Such an agreement can be concluded within a relatively short period and would provide an effective solution to the immediate delivery pressures that are currently being experienced.
“It would present the City of Cape Town with more authority than would the level of accreditation that is being applied for.”
Dyantyi says that in entering into the implementation protocol, the city would not have to relinquish the grant funding that had been approved to enhance capacity as a housing agent. - Cape Argus
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