Committee Report on DHS Quarterly Performance; Community Schemes Ombud Services Indaba Report; Committee Annual Activities Report

Meeting report

Committee minutes

The Chairperson reviewed each page of the Committee's minutes dated 22 November.

Ms N Sihlwayi (ANC) proposed their adoption, and was seconded by Ms M Makesini (EFF).

The minutes were adopted.

When the minutes dated 29 November were reviewed, Dr N Khumalo (DA) pointed out a specific section regarding the poor performance of the Free State in delivering only 3% of houses in the year. She clarified that her concern had not been about hoping for better performance, but questioning the effectiveness of the turnaround strategy in the Free State. She highlighted a sentence that inaccurately portrayed her input in the minutes, stating that the concern was about implementing the strategy, rather than expressing hope for improvement.

The Chairperson acknowledged that three individuals, including Dr Khumalo, Ms Makesini and herself, had discussed a certain topic. She expressed uncertainty about the specific details and requested clarification, asking Dr Khumalo to elaborate on the topic or open the sentence for further context.

Dr Khumalo pointed out an inaccuracy in the sentence, stating that Members had not expressed hope for the Free State to implement the intervention strategy, as it was already in progress. Instead, the concern was about the effectiveness of the strategy.

The Chairperson and Dr Khumalo recommended rephrasing the sentence to convey that Members had raised concerns about whether the presented strategy was producing positive results or not.

Dr Khumalo noted that there had been an omission regarding the discussion on vacancies. She had discussed why certain vacancies, initially listed to be filled, were not earmarked for filling. She indicated that there was an answer to this in the responses, specifically located in bullet point 1.

The Chairperson said that the Committee had welcomed filling the executive management position but expressed ongoing concerns about other positions within the executive branch. She recalled that there was still a high number of vacancies in those other positions.

Dr Khumalo added that in addition to the Committee's approval of the Department meeting a certain number of filled vacancies, there was a concern that the Department had included vacancies that were not initially targeted to be filled. She had raised this question during the deliberations, and the clarification on this matter could be found in bullet point 5. She suggested emphasising this point in the report so that readers could understand why the measurement of filling vacancies may have appeared successful.

Dr Khumalo moved the adoption of the minutes, and Mr A Tseki (ANC) seconded.

The minutes were duly adopted.

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements on the Attendance and Participation In the Community Schemes Ombud Services (CSOS) Indaba from the 3 to 4 August 2023, in Canvas, Riversands in Midrand, Gauteng Province

The Chairperson verified the accuracy of the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) report on the Portfolio Committee's participation and attendance in the CSOS workshop from 3 to 4 August, and invited input from Members. She clarified that the presented report was not an official CSOS document, but rather a report from Members of Parliament who had attended a workshop. This report served as a means of accounting to Parliament, demonstrating the Members' attendance and observations at the workshop. She encouraged Members to provide any additional inputs or comments they may have on the report.

Ms Sihlwayi highlighted the significance of CSOS's work, emphasising its critical role in empowering communities for future business ventures and socio-economic development. She pointed out that the CSOS addressed issues of redress and building capabilities within the broader community, contributing to better programme management and governance.

She emphasised the complexities faced by the CSOS due to its involvement with diverse communities, both urban and rural. She suggested that the Department of Human Settlements (DHS) should closely collaborate with the CSOS to address these challenges. She also mentioned contestations among agencies regarding CSOS's programme management, noting that agencies had their own expectations and understanding. She recommended that the Department focus on building the governance and capacities of officers in these agencies.

She also expressed interest in obtaining the official report of the CSOS from the conference. She believed that having a clear report would enable them to present proposals for improvement. She concluded by stating that these were her initial observations on the preliminary conference report and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to discuss the matter further.

Mr Tseki raised an issue from the conference regarding transformation, particularly towards the end, where the Committee had provided some pointers. He suggested that the Committee should collaborate with other organisations to ensure the achievement of its transformation agenda. He emphasised the need for continuous engagement with all stakeholders in the property sector, including real estate agents. He pointed out that despite government aims, some institutions were not aligning with the transformation goals, making it crucial for the Committee to work towards addressing this disparity.

The Chairperson proposed moving forward with adopting the report, considering the amendments that had been made.

Mr Tseki moved the adoption of the report with the amendments, and Ms Sihlwayi seconded.

The report was duly adopted. https://pmg.org.za/tabled-committee-report/5636/

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements on the 2023/24 Second Quarter Financial and Non-Financial Performance of the Department of Human Settlements

The report on the Department's financial and non-financial performance for the second quarter of 2023/24 was presented by the Committee Secretariat. It highlighted expenditures, programme performances, observations, and recommendations. The report noted a 86% overall second quarter performance by the Department, with 14% of targets not achieved out of 35 pursued. The Committee urged the Department to maintain a good level of performance, and recommended rewarding positive contributions by employees.

The report expressed optimism in the Department's strategy for issuing title deeds, and welcomed the 'Title Deeds Friday' initiative by Ministers and Members of Executive Councils (MinMec). However, concerns were raised about the backlog in the issuance of title deeds. Recommendations included improving the title deeds programme and maximising the 'Title Deeds Friday' initiative.

Concerns were also raised about the progress on the Informal Settlement Upgrading Partnership Grant (ISUPG), with a recommendation for the Department to present a strategy to overcome challenges preventing progress of the grant in the next quarter. Efforts to address the 40% set-aside challenge were noted, and recommendations included close monitoring of provinces and metros and addressing procurement and transformation challenges.

Positive reporting by entities was acknowledged, but concerns were raised about challenges faced by first-time home buyers. Recommendations included a plan to assist individuals facing rejection by financial providers and ensuring a smoother housing buying process.

Budget cuts in all Department programmes were noted with concern, and recommendations emphasised effective resource utilisation and preventing wasteful expenditure. The report welcomed the filling of senior management positions, but expressed ongoing concerns about the backlog and emphasised addressing unemployment by filling remaining vacancies.

Efforts in training and education through scholarship programmes were noted, with a recommendation to maintain and improve these efforts. The Committee requested a report on the scholarship programme.

Discussion

Ms Makesini expressed full agreement with the presented report, but raised concerns about the engagement with the banks. She noted that during the presentation, the Department had highlighted the relationship with ABSA, but there was a lack of clarity on engaging with other banks. She emphasised the importance of involving all the banks to address financial challenges faced by individuals at risk of losing their homes. She urged the Department to convene and establish programmes with all banks to collectively address the challenges people in need face.

The Chairperson thanked Ms Makesini for her input, noting that the issue of engaging with banks and assisting communities with bonds had been raised in the last meeting. She highlighted the importance of addressing this matter, as it could impact the backlog, particularly in informal settlements. She suggested presenting this issue in the next meeting.

Ms Sihlwayi expressed her agreement with the presented report but raised concerns about issues related to upgrading the informal settlement, particularly in the Western Cape. She said that a significant amount of money allocated for upgrading informal settlements in the Western Cape had been returned, despite the area having approximately 60% informal settlements. She pointed out that the oversight visits to the Western Cape's informal settlements had revealed inadequate attention, possibly due to budget constraints or other reasons.

She criticised the monitoring process in the provinces, stating that it lacked systematic and quality outcomes. She proposed that the Department attach an official to the Western Cape, focusing on the informal settlement upgrading as a test case. This, she argued, would address the challenges and provide a clearer understanding of the issues through the perspective of an official stationed in the Western Cape.

The Chairperson intervened to address Ms Sihlwayi's concerns, indicating that she would engage with the Western Cape, Stellenbosch, and the DHS regarding the report on the oversight visit. She said Ms Sihlwayi's input would contribute to a more thorough discussion during the oversight visit. She suggested that further discussion and adoption of the report would take place after engaging with the relevant departments and provinces.

Ms Sihlwayi raised the issue of appreciating the efforts in assessing the progress of the designated group from all provinces. She requested assistance from the Chairperson's office in obtaining the presentation of the Minister of Finance, which had been delivered in a plenary session. The presentation had apparently addressed the issue of redress and transformation, and she sought guidance on how to understand the presentation effectively to enable proper monitoring of the programme.

Mr Tseki expressed support for the report, particularly highlighting his concern about the progress on the Informal Settlement Upgrade Partnership Grant mentioned in item 4.3. He emphasised the need for a developed strategy, stating that sometimes the phrasing of sentences lacked impact.

Mr Tseki noted the importance of the report, and suggested that the recommendations could be improved in the future in terms of their specificity. He indicated that the issue for him was the quantity versus the plans, emphasising the need for progress on the plans outlined at the beginning of the year to be reflected in each quarter's report. While supporting the report, he called for more specific recommendations in the future.

Ms Makesini moved to adopt the report, and Mr Tseki seconded the motion.

The report was duly adopted. https://pmg.org.za/tabled-committee-report/5634/

The Chairperson thanked the Members for the agreement that the issue related to the Western Cape would be addressed in the informal settlement report.

Annual Report of Portfolio Committee

Ms Kholiswa Pasiya-Mndende, Committee Secretary, presented the annual report on the work of the Committee in 2023. She provided an overview that included details on the Committee membership, vision, mission, and mandates. The report covered the appeals and Bills referred to the Committee, oversight visits conducted, entities monitored, the Committee's strategic plan, conferences/workshops attended, international trips, meetings held, and reports considered.

She said there were no international trips or cancelled meetings during the year. The report outlined the consideration of Section 32 reports, the adoption of quarterly reports, and the consideration of annual reports for the Department and its entities. It also included information on petitions, papers referred to the Committee, and the master attendance register.

She said that the trip to Brazil was not approved due to the Committee's participation in the World Urban Forum conference in Poland. She concluded by mentioning two ongoing petitions related to Ga-Rankuwa and the Breede Valley.

Mr Sabelo Mnguni, Committee Content Advisor, took over and provided details on the following topics:

Public hearings

The report commended the effectiveness of public hearings as a valuable tool for community engagement. It highlighted the interactive nature of the public hearings, emphasising the importance of the Committee's approach in structuring and conducting them. The rich submissions received during public hearings provided members with meaningful insights, creating opportunities for follow-up actions and resolutions.

Oversight visits to disaster-affected areas

A recommendation was made for the Committee to consider oversight visits to areas affected by disasters. The report stressed the importance of assessing the interventions employed by provinces and municipalities in responding to disasters. Such visits could offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of disaster management strategies and their impact on affected communities.

Submission of information by provinces

The report highlighted concerns raised regarding the timely submission of information by provinces and municipalities to the Committee. It mentioned a proposed meeting to delve into the reasons behind delays in information submission. The report also suggested the formulation of a contingency plan, particularly focusing on addressing challenges faced by the provinces, with specific attention to the situation in the Free State.

Multiyear housing projects

Members had expressed apprehensions about multiyear housing projects and their potential impact on achieving set targets, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness. Mr Mnguni recommended a thorough discussion on the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of these projects. The Committee could explore ways to ensure that multiyear projects aligned with broader housing goals and priorities.

Oversight on specific issues

In specific areas, such as Mangaung, special attention was recommended. This included the promises made by the Minister regarding the removal of asbestos houses and addressing mud houses. Mr Mnguni suggested that the Committee consider conducting oversight visits to these areas to assess the progress and challenges related to housing initiatives.

Review of the PIE Act

The Committee raised concerns about the Prevention of Illegal Evictions (PIE) Act, particularly focusing on the eight-hour period allocated for the removal of invaders. Mr Mnguni proposed a comprehensive discussion on this issue to explore potential amendments or improvements to address challenges and ensure fairness in the implementation of the Act.

Update on state-owned land

Members sought an update on the allocation of state-owned land for human settlements. Mr Mnguni emphasised the importance of tracking progress on land rezoning and major projects declared by the President. This information would provide insights into the government's efforts to address housing needs and promote sustainable human settlements.

Verification of data

Challenges related to data verification were highlighted, with Mr Mnguni underlining the need for oversight visits by technical staff. Such visits would play a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy of performance data provided by provinces, contributing to a more reliable basis for decision-making.

Transformation and procurement challenges

Several recommendations were proposed to address transformation challenges, including the prompt payment of invoices and dealing with procurement challenges within the Department. Mr Mnguni called for robust debates on the definition and sustainability of human settlements, encouraging the Committee to explore innovative solutions to overcome existing challenges.

Discussion

Ms Makesini shared her satisfaction with the analysis provided, particularly emphasising the need for detailed updates on outstanding issues in the North West. She proposed a follow-up meeting in the first quarter of the next year to ensure the completion of pending tasks and to obtain comprehensive reports. Regarding the asbestos removal project in the Western Cape, she underscored the importance of enforcing compliance, stating that failure to do so could pose risks to citizens. She emphasised the critical role of transparency in reporting to communities, and urged proactive measures to address challenges effectively.

Ms Sihlwayi sought clarification on the term "analysis towards outcome." She emphasised the need for a detailed examination of achievements and outcomes, especially as the term of the current Parliament transitioned to the next. She raised the importance of preparing a legacy report, focusing on the close-out areas and accomplishments of the Committee, and sought guidance on the parliamentary process from more experienced Members, expressing a desire for clarity on how such processes were typically conducted.

She also addressed the issue of the PIE Act, highlighting the Committee's decision to engage on problematic aspects of the Act. She suggested identifying contentious areas and ensuring a quality review of the PIE Act based on the Committee's experiences.

The Chairperson expressed concern about the content of the report, particularly in terms of the oversight visits, public hearings, and the analysis of achievements. She emphasised that the analysis of oversight visits should be more detailed and linked to specific provinces. The analysis should reflect the outcomes, government priorities, and the identified issues in each province. She highlighted the need for a comprehensive report that captured the discussions, outcomes, and actions taken during meetings and oversight visits.

She also raised concerns about missing information, such as the date when the annual report was considered in the House, the adoption of the Housing Protection Bill, and the outcomes of various meetings. She emphasised the importance of including relevant details in the report template to provide a clearer understanding for those who would read it in the future.

The Chairperson requested clarification on how the analysis could be integrated into the report template, ensuring that all necessary information was included within the specified sections.

Mr Mnguni suggested that the issues raised in the analysis could be captured in the legacy report. He proposed integrating those specific details into the legacy report, which had a section designed to carry issues forward to the next administration. This approach could address the concerns raised by the Chairperson regarding the need for a more comprehensive and integrated report, ensuring that relevant details were included for future reference.

The Committee Secretariat mentioned that they were addressing the issue of the Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report (BRRR) column not reflecting the debate in the House. She would follow up with the responsible parties to include the relevant information in the template. Additionally, she would include the adoption date and debate details in the housing consumer adoption column for the relevant bill.

Ms Makenisi moved the adoption of the report with its amendments.

Ms Sihlwayi seconded the adoption of the report.

Draft first term programme for 2024

The Committee Secretariat presented the draft programme for the first term of 2024, outlining the following schedule.

From 28 January to 4 February, an oversight visit was planned for KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, with the Committee visiting both provinces simultaneously.

On 14 February, a Committee meeting was scheduled, during which the Minister of Human Settlements would be requested to present with the steering committee on Vulindlela on title deeds. The Department would also brief the Committee on the White Paper on Human Settlements.

On 21 February, another Committee meeting was set to address the digitisation of beneficiary lists, with the DHS and the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) making a joint presentation. Moreover, Stellenbosch municipality, the Western Cape, and the DHS would present on all informal settlements. A subsequent oversight visit to Stellenbosch was scheduled for 28 February, where the Committee aimed to complete visits to informal settlements in the area.

On 6 March, the Committee was slated to receive updates from the Department on acquired state-owned land, including priority development areas, and plans to curb land invasions. Additionally, the third-quarter report from the DHS would be presented.

On 13 March, the Committee would convene to finalise the petitions on Ga-Rankuwa and the Breede Valley, and receive an update on the enforcement of Geographic Information System (GIS) integration and coordination planning by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). A briefing by the CSOS on the progress made on the system for revenue collection was also on the agenda.

On 20 March, there would be another Committee meeting for the adoption of the legacy report and the headquarter report on the docket. The Committee would also receive its report on the third-quarter performance of the Department.

The term would conclude with a meeting on 27 March, during which the Committee would receive a presentation from the DHS on the definition and implementation of mud houses. A consolidated report on consequence management in cases of serious transgressions would be presented, and reports on petitions and minutes would be considered and adopted.

The Chairperson highlighted specific issues that were still outstanding and urged Committee Members to consider addressing and closing these matters, emphasising the importance of not leaving critical issues unresolved. The Committee aimed to prioritise and address key outstanding issues, aligning with the Chair of Chairs' guidance on navigating the programme for the specified period.

Ms Makesini expressed concern about the effectiveness of the Committee meetings scheduled for 3 and 4 February, suggesting that there might be political commitments during that week that could impact participation and engagement in Committee activities.

The Chairperson acknowledged Ms Makesini's concern and agreed to consider adjusting the programme, taking into account the voter registration activities.

The Committee proceeded to adopt the programme, with the suggested amendment.

Closing remarks

The Chairperson thanked all Members for their participation throughout the year, acknowledging the challenging days. She extended wishes for a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, encouraging everyone to use the time to recharge and spend with their families.

The meeting was adjourned.