The City of Cape Town and the national department of housing met on Tuesday to discuss challenges of the N2 Gateway Project in the first meeting between the two spheres of government since the council was removed from the project in June last year.
The council has still not been told if it will get the accreditation needed to fast-track housing developments.
Mayor Helen Zille requested the meeting with Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu in a bid to remove some of the obstacles blocking housing delivery in the city.
But Zille said on Tuesday that she was informed, upon her arrival at Sisulu's office, that the minister was unable to attend due to another commitment. Instead, Zille met Richard Dyantyi, MEC for Local Government and Housing, and Director-General of Housing Itumeleng Kotsoane.
The city has declared a dispute against the provincial government for dragging it heels in giving the city the housing accreditation that would allow it to access national housing subsidies without provincial approval.
Kotsoane said the city's request for housing accreditation was not raised at Tuesday's meeting, as this was a provincial competency. But he said the department and the National Treasury were evaluating the 18 municipalities that had applied for accreditation.
Sisulu declined to comment on the issue last week, because of the dispute with the provincial government.
She did however say, in a interview, that she was "disconcerted" that the city had not taken time to understand the complexities of the project before requesting forensic audits of contracts that were signed for phase one.
Sisulu said the national department of housing, as "the top of the pyramid" could not jump over a (provincial) sphere to engage with the city.
Kotsoane was upbeat about Tuesday's meeting and said the city was still involved in the N2 Gateway project, providing services and infrastructure.
Sisulu last week announced new plans for the N2 Gateway, including bridges linking the development with Athlone.
She said the construction of 30,000 housing units, upscaled from 22,000, would be completed by 2010.
Sisulu told parliament on Monday that building contractors would work 24 hours, seven days a week, to accelerate construction. - Cape Times
The council has still not been told if it will get the accreditation needed to fast-track housing developments.
Mayor Helen Zille requested the meeting with Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu in a bid to remove some of the obstacles blocking housing delivery in the city.
But Zille said on Tuesday that she was informed, upon her arrival at Sisulu's office, that the minister was unable to attend due to another commitment. Instead, Zille met Richard Dyantyi, MEC for Local Government and Housing, and Director-General of Housing Itumeleng Kotsoane.
The city has declared a dispute against the provincial government for dragging it heels in giving the city the housing accreditation that would allow it to access national housing subsidies without provincial approval.
Kotsoane said the city's request for housing accreditation was not raised at Tuesday's meeting, as this was a provincial competency. But he said the department and the National Treasury were evaluating the 18 municipalities that had applied for accreditation.
Sisulu declined to comment on the issue last week, because of the dispute with the provincial government.
She did however say, in a interview, that she was "disconcerted" that the city had not taken time to understand the complexities of the project before requesting forensic audits of contracts that were signed for phase one.
Sisulu said the national department of housing, as "the top of the pyramid" could not jump over a (provincial) sphere to engage with the city.
Kotsoane was upbeat about Tuesday's meeting and said the city was still involved in the N2 Gateway project, providing services and infrastructure.
Sisulu last week announced new plans for the N2 Gateway, including bridges linking the development with Athlone.
She said the construction of 30,000 housing units, upscaled from 22,000, would be completed by 2010.
Sisulu told parliament on Monday that building contractors would work 24 hours, seven days a week, to accelerate construction. - Cape Times
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