Question NW1116 to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
29 October 2019 - NW1116
Sarupen, Mr AN to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
Whether her department has put any plans in place regarding the short-term and long-term maintenance of hostels in the City of Ekurhuleni, many of which have fallen into a state of dilapidation; if not, why not; if so, what (a) are the details of her department’s plans in this regard, (b) action will be taken in the short-term to ensure that hostel dwellers live in a dignified manner, (c) are the names of the hostels that will be prioritised and (d) amount has or will her department allocate to maintain the hostels?
Reply:
(a) The National Department of Human Settlements provides grant funding to Provinces for Hostel Redevelopment and renovations. According to the City of Ekurhuleni Municipality, they are currently assessing the conditions and structural integrity of all rental properties (including hostels and flats) within its boundaries as a short term plan. The assessments of hostels will be followed by a maintenance plan for a period of 5-10 years. For purposes of the long term plan, the City will partner with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Human Settlements to refurbish the hostels.
(b) The City of Ekurhuleni allocates a budget for minor hostel maintenance every financial year to ensure that tenants live in dignified conditions.
(c) In total there are 24 hostels within the city of Ekurhuleni, of which the five listed below have been prioritised for maintenance:
- Wattville Hostel
- Thokoza Hostel
- KwaThema Hostel
- Sethokga Hostel
- Castle Hostel
(d) The City together with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Human Settlements are in partnership to refurbish the hostels as well as address issues related to long term maintenance.
For the 2019/2020 financial year, the City of Ekurhuleni Municipality has set aside R15 499 000.00 for the maintenance of hostels.
Maintenance of the rest of the hostels will take place once the structural assessments have been completed and a maintenance plan is approved.