Housing Delivery in the Metros: briefing by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality

Meeting report

HOUSING PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
17 June 2003
HOUSING DELIVERY IN THE METROS: BRIEFING BY NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY

Chairperson: Ms Kota (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality Presentation:
Housing Delivery Powerpoint Presentation
Indigent Policy Powerpoint Presentation

SUMMARY
Representatives from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality briefed the Committee on their housing programmes. Eradication of informal settlement; the capacity within the municipality to deliver on its functions and operational costs as well as the problem to deal with the housing backlog were identified as the major challenges. Members were concerned about the deteriorating housing conditions in peri-urban areas. Hence it was agreed that there was a need to fast track housing delivery in such areas.

MINUTES
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality was represented by Councillor Nancy Yihlwayi (Chairperson of Housing and Land Affairs Committee), Mr Malcolm Langson (Director: Housing) Mr Peter Wilson (Deputy Director: Treasury).

Ms Yihlwayi (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality) briefly informed members that the Nelson Mandela executive mayor had declared housing a priority and the aim was to ensure sustainable and quality delivery on housing.

Housing delivery
Mr Maclan Landson (Nelson Mandela Metro) informed members that the Nelson Mandela Metro had formulated a 5-year housing programme and a vision for 2020, aimed at rolling out houses and empowering the community. Within the next ten years, 15 000 housing units would be built together with five major housing support centres which would be staffed by the officials of the municipality. The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan had also established a housing framework concept known as the Metro House with two bedrooms, a lounge, and kitchen, surrounded by a wide external apron. All materials and workmanship would comply with the NHBRC home building manual. Furthermore, lay-out plans had been prepared and approved for the purposes of developing the peri-urban areas which include the areas of Rockland, Kuyga, St Albans, Seaview and Witteklip. However, the Nelson Mandela municipality was still faced with many challenges in implementing its housing programme and these inter alia included the problem of a backlog of bout 78 000 housing units, eradication of informal settlements, community participation and total resistance towards relocation.

Indigent Policy
Mr Peter Wilson informed members that the existing scheme on indigent policy had been introduced in July 1997. In 2001/2002 financial year about 48172 households had been assisted with a total credit of R40 584 000. In order for people to qualify for the above scheme, they had to satisfy the following criteria: they earned a maximum household income of R1500 per month, a person must occupy the property, a person must have a prepaid metre with consumption not exceeding 150Kwh monthly average. Benefits with the scheme include a free prepaid token for 50Kwh and exemption from sewerage and environmental charges.

Discussion
Ms Ludwabe (ANC) was concerned about the extremely poor housing conditions in the peri-urban areas and asked as to when was the Nelson Mandela Metro intended to commence executing housing programmes in these areas.

Mr Macgregor (ANC) stated that the presentation had focussed on the backlogs and challenges facing the Metro however there was no indication of how many housing units had been built and delivered since 1994.

Councillor Yihliwa (Mandela Metro) responding to the question posited by Ms Ludwabe pointed out that the peri-urban areas were areas that had been inherited from the previous Apartheid council. The municipality had been trying to legally transfer the land, which had been privately owned, for the purposes of developing these areas. Currently, extensive processes had been put in place to roll out houses and internal services to the various peri-urban areas.

Ms Kota (Chairperson) conceded that there was a need to fast track the housing delivery programmes in these per-urban areas because they had been neglected since 1963, under the apartheid government.

Mr Langson (Mandela Metro) pointed out that the housing delivery programme had been delayed in peri-urban areas mainly because of the problems of delays with regards to ultra mobile environmental assessment and the fact that a substantial amount of the land in the per-urban areas had been commercially owned.

Councillor Yihlwayi added that to counter the current backlog, the Nelson Mandela Metro in partnership with the private sector was planning to build approximately 45 000 housing units and 25 000 housing units within the period of July 2003 until July next year.

Ms Ludwabe (ANC) asked whether the beneficiaries or independent contractors would build the PHP Metro House models and whether women contractors where considered during the tendering process?

Ms Kota (Chairperson) was concerned that in terms of the national housing delivery, Eastern Cape was under-spending, more specifically the metro's.

Councillor Yihlwayi (Mandela Metro) pointed out during the construction of the People's Housing Project (PHP) Metro housing units, beneficiary participation would vary, mainly because in some instances people would participate in planning, design and and in other instances the beneficiaries would opt for independent contractors. With regards to the involvement of women contractors during the procurement process, Councillor Yihlwani pointed out that the Mandela Metro was currently having meetings with the women involved in the construction industry and about 50 women were currently undergoing training.

Councillor Yihlwayi concurred with the contention that there had been poor spending on housing throughout the province. However she informed members that a task team for the Nelson Mandela Metro had been set up to improve the spending pattern on housing.

Mr Macgregor (ANC) was impressed by the housing layout of the PHP Metro house shown in the presentation. However he stated that there was still no indication from the presentation of what had been achieved in terms of housing delivery since 1994. He requested the presenters to forward that information to the Portfolio Committee during the course of the year.

Mr Gogotya (ANC) pointed out that there was no need to build a wide apron around the PHP Metro house because they could be destroyed when the beneficiary was extending the house.

Mr Langson (Nelson Mandela Metro) pointed out that the wide aprons were necessary to regulate the moisture content around the houses, hence it would be unwise to remove them.

Ms Kota (Chairperson) was glad that Mandela Metro was going beyond the 40 square metre housing units. The Committee was intending to visit the Eastern Cape in July to inspect the PHP Metro Houses introduced by the Mandela Metropolitan.

The meeting was adjourned.