Question NW597 to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
30 June 2020 - NW597
Tafeni, Ms N to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
What are the reasons that the function of building houses was moved from the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality?
Reply:
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (NMBMM) in or about 2015 assessed its ability to deliver housing and infrastructure related to housing and human settlements. Subsequently, the Council took a resolution in terms of which the national Department of Human Settlements (DHS) was requested to intervene and provide additional capacity and a management process, which would enable the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality to achieve its human settlements delivery objectives.
The national Department, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality and the Provincial Department of Human Settlements then established the required intergovernmental structure, including a technical steering committee, as provided for in the Inter-Governmental Relations Framework Act 13 of 2005.
The Steering Committees established derived authority from the following;
- Cabinet approval granted on 29 April 2015.
- Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by political principals on 30 June 2015.
- Implementation Protocol (IP) signed by Accounting Officers on 2 July 2015.
- Council resolution in support of Programme on 17 September 2015.
- The HDA to serve as an implementing agent.
The term of the MOA and IP has since lapsed, and is currently being renegotiated between the parties.
However, there is no interruption in the planning, funding and development of housing and human settlements in the NMBMM, as the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Human Settlements (ECDHS), is the legislated developer and implementing agent of housing. The ECDHS has appointed the HDA to continue being the implementing agent for housing and human settlements in the NMBMM.