Department of Human Settlement Annual Performance Plan 2019/20, with Minister and Deputy Minister

Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation

03 July 2019
Chairperson: Ms R Semenya (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

PMG was not present at the meeting. The below is compiled based on the Committee’s official minutes adopted on 23 July 2019.

Meeting report

NOTE: PMG was not present at the meeting. The below is compiled based on the Committee’s official minutes adopted on 23 July 2019.

Officials present from the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation:

Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation

Designation

Mr M Tshangana

Director-General: DHS

Mr W Jiyane

Deputy Director-General: DHS

Mr J Leshabane

Deputy Director-General: DHS

Mr S Mlanzeli

Director: DHS

Mr M Kraba

Director: DHS

Mr N Mabaya

DHS

Dr Z Sokopo

Chief Director: DHS

Mr S Mahlangu

Acting Director-General – Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS)

Mr L Menurs

Acting Deputy Director-General: DWS

Mr C Greve

Acting Deputy Director-General: DWS

Mr T Balzer

Deputy Director-General: DWS

Ms D Mochotlhi

Deputy Director-General: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

Mr F Moatshe

Acting Chief Financial Officer: DWS

Ms N Fundakubi

Chief Operations Officer: DWS

Mr M Mdekazi

Chief Director: Stakeholder Relations - DWS        

Ms B Manyakanyaka

DWS

B Ntshona

Head of Office: DWS

2019/20 Annual Performance Plan Department of Human Settlements

Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, provided the brief overview on the work of the Department of Human Settlements.  She informed the meeting that, to date the Department has constructed approximately four million houses. The Department had since moved away from the Reconstruction and Development (RDP) housing development policy toward a human settlements house (as part of the Breaking New Ground Policy – (BNG). The emphasis on this policy was on the upgrading of informal settlements.  The approach was to build megacities such as those of Cornubia in Kwazulu-Natal, a catalytic project, and Cosmo City in Gauteng, which represented a cosmopolitan and inclusive city. There was a great deal of irregularity in the use of the Urban Settlements Development Grant (USDG) by metropolitan municipalities. As a result, the Minister intends to ring-fence the grant in order to ensure it was used for its intended purpose. The Committee was informed that on Mandela Day, the United Nations Habitat for Humanity is to build houses for some of the most distressed persons.

Mr Mbulelo Tshangana, Director-General of the Department of Human Settlements, remarked that the Annual Performance Plan (APP) represents what the Department intended to undertake for the year under review.  It is a contracting document with the citizens of the country as it reflects all the programmes of the Department. He also made reference to the Department’s Housing Code, which represents the Department’s various policies, which in essence, are instruments of which the Department uses in order to achieve its objectives. For instance, the Department uses subsidies to intervene in the property market in order to address market failure.

He outlined the four programmes of the Department:

-Programme One: Administration

-Programme Two: Human Settlements and Strategy

-Programme Three: Programme Monitoring and Support

-Programme Four: Housing Development Finance and Grant Management

Mr Joseph Leshabane, Deputy Director-General: Programme Implementation Support, DHS, presented the key points in the programme.  He stated the Department was placing a strong emphasis on the following:

  • Project readiness matrix
  • Transformation of specific spaces into liveable and sustainable spaces through spatial targeting and consolidation
  • Revitalisation of distressed mining towns
  • Focus on informal settlements which entails conducting assessment of informal settlements
  • Providing support to municipalities and provinces to facilitate the upgrading programme
  • Programme to deliver social housing through community residential units, which entails conversion of single sex hostels to family units
  • Multi-year land assembly as part of forward planning
  • Issuance of title deed and housing for military veterans

Discussion

The Committee resolved that the Department of Human Settlements should:

  • Put punitive measures for municipalities lacking compliance in utilisation of the Urban Settlements Development Grant (USDG).  Funds should be ring-fenced and utilised for the intended purpose. There should also be punitive measures in place to deal with poor performing municipalities
  •  The Department, working with National Treasury, should improve monitoring of the USDG grant and prevent fiscal dumping
  • Provide a list of the informal settlements in South Africa, including their geographical location (the list of the informal settlements to be upgraded); distressed mining towns; list of blocked projects with plans to unblock them. The Department should also clarify the rectification programme
  • Prevent informal sale of state subsidy house. Conduct occupancy audit or studies to determine ownership of state subsidy houses (RDP). This would assist the Department to determine the effectiveness and responsiveness of the programme. Educate beneficiaries on their role in home ownership, importance of ownership and benefits
  • Fast-track release of suitable land for human settlements purpose. Densification strategies in urban areas should be incorporated into departmental plans in urban areas
  • Improve capacity in critical programmes with the Department
  • Prevent land and home invasions
  • Prevent illegal evictions of farm workers by farmers
  • Improve response rate in cases of emergency situations. The criteria on emergency grant must be clarified. Further, the definition, parameters, and process of policy should be clarified. This would assist the Committee with monitoring and evaluation of the programme
  • Fast-track issuing of title deeds, including eradication of the backlog (pre- and post-1994). Fast-track issuing of title deeds in Indian and Coloured areas
  • Conduct an investigation of alleged misconduct by the Red Ants
  • Improve community involvement to ensure community satisfaction and reduce community protests
  • Improve accreditation process of municipalities
  • Upscale support to women and youth contractors.  There should be plans to capacitate them to improve their performance
  • Utilise current legislation to prevent land and home invasions. Clarify was needed on utilisation of the emergency grant, the way it is administered, what constitutes an emergency or prerequisite, as most people affected by disasters were still out of shelter
  • Monitor management of the Housing Subsidy System (HSS) as the waiting list is still a challenge
  • Provide plans to assist Military Veterans as some houses were built without amenities
  • Submit its human resource plan to the Committee
  • Start looking into future plans to realise the President’s dream of building new smart cities

Department of Water and Sanitation 2019/20 Annual Performance Plan

The Department of Water and Sanitation was sent back after it failed to present a clear and correct Annual Performance Plan.  It has also failed to state whether the budget allocated to it would be sufficient to implement the plans and projects.  The crucial project, War on Leaks, was not funded for in the 2019/20 financial year. A follow-up meeting was arranged for Friday, 5 July 2019.

Closing Remarks

The Chairperson requested the Department of Water and Sanitation prepare an informative and correct presentation indicating clearly the plans and budget of the Department.  She stated the Committee needed to understand whether the Department has funds or not and whether the plans would be implemented.

The meeting was adjourned.

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