Question NW491 to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
16 March 2021 - NW491
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
Will she furnish Ms E L Powell with (a) an update on progress at the Dodoma Avenue Housing Development in KwaZulu-Natal and (b) the details of (i) any project timeline delays, (ii) the primary construction contractor, (iii) any sub-contractors, (iv) the name of site engineers, (v) the name of the design architect, (vi) costs initially budgeted for the development, (vii) full costs incurred to date including the estimated date of beneficiary hand-over and (viii) reasons for delays and additional costs incurred?
Reply:
(a) The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Human Settlements has indicated that the Dodoma Avenue Housing Development forms part of a sub-phase of the broader Kennedy Road Housing Project. The project consist of 45 units. Currently, all 45 units are at roof level.
(b)(i) The unforeseen reasons for the delay of the construction programme by a further 12 months include the following:
- objections received from ratepayers in the surrounding area;
- disputes over labour rates resulting in work stoppages;
- social challenges from adjacent informal settlements;
- Covid-19 impact, and
- Geotechnical constraints.
(ii) to (v) I am constrained and prohibited by the document titled “Guide to Parliamentary Questions in the National Assembly” from providing the Honourable Member with the names of the primary contractor, the sub-contractors, site engineer, and the design architect as requested. The document referred to states that:
“Questions are to be framed as concisely as possible. All unnecessary adjectives, references and quotations are omitted. Names of persons, bodies and, for example, newspapers are only used in questions if the facts surrounding the case have been proven. As the mere mention of such names could be construed as publicity for or against them, it should be clear that this practice is highly undesirable. If a question will be unintelligible without mentioning such names, the Departments concerned are notified of the name (-s) and this phrase is used: ".......a certain person (name furnished)”
(vi) I am informed that the original budget for the implementation of the project was R 14 613 997, 57.
(vii) The cost incurred to date is R 10 440 174, 08 and the beneficiary handover will take place on a phased basis on completion of sections of the project, which will be completed by July 2021.
(viii) The additional cost of approximately R2 000 000 was incurred due to the following:
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- the need for stabilizing work, retaining structures as recommended by an independent assessment of soil conditions;
- additional time related costs and remedial works due to stoppages and invasions of completed housing units, and
- additional assessments due to claims of ancestral graves at the Dodoma Avenue site.