Question NW536 to the Minister of Human Settlements

Reply:

1. A Response to the 2022 & 2023 Floods in the Eastern Cape
   1. In the Eastern Cape Province, the April 2022 disaster affected 4799 households wherein 2959 houses were destroyed, and the remainder were partially damaged. Households affected were mainly in OR Tambo; Alfred Nzo; Joe Gqabi; Chris Hani; Amathole Districts
   2. Because the partially destroyed homes were made up of mud houses, they are considered as requiring a total rebuild. The HDA completed the assessment of partially damaged houses in Alfred Nzo and OR Tambo regions and the report indicates that all those houses must be replaced with a permanent solution. Those households that are destitute would in the meantime receive TRUs.
   3. In the 2022/23 financial year, the Eastern Cape Province was allocated an amount of R84 million to address disaster incidents in the affected municipalities. The second tranche of R42 million will be disbursed once expenditure on the first tranche reaches 80%.
   4. To date, 931 Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) have been completed [435 units in Alfred Nzo and 496 units in OR Tambo Districts]. The HDA has appointed contractors to erect a further 1141 TRUs in OR Tambo, Chris Hani, Amathole and Joe Gqabi District Municipalities.
   5. In the 2022/23 financial year, the National Department of Human Settlements also approved an application from the Alfred Nzo District Municipality for the December 2021 disaster to the value of R16 million for the construction of 258 TRUs. 50% of funds (R8,3 million) were transferred in July 2022 however, thus far, only 47 Temporary Residential Units have been constructed.
   6. The reported reasons for the slow progress are heavy rainfall experienced in the affected areas and inaccessibility of sites due to terrain, inability of material suppliers to keep-up with the demand for the supply of the TRU wall cladding panels.
   7. In February 2023 the province was affected by heavy rains again. Assessment is underway. The Department of Human Settlements is in continuous discussions with the Province through the Joint Operations Committee to ascertain the number of households that require housing assistance and submit its application for evaluation, processing and approval of funding prior to the end of this financial year, or the province could reprioritise human settlements funding to address temporary housing for the affected households. The floods affected the following municipalities: Dr AB Xuma, Sakhiziswe, Emalahleni, Intsika Yethu and Enoch Mgijima.
   8. The Enoch Mgijima District Municipality has established a Joint Operations Committee with sector departments and other relevant stakeholders. The affected households that were mainly from the surrounding informal settlements were relocated to mass care centres around Queenstown, with the main one being the Gali Thembani Centre. An on-site inspection of the facility was conducted. It was established that the facility is of good quality and households are accommodated in family rooms with privacy. The province reported that of the 227 households accommodated at the facility. Plans are afoot to provide the households with TRUs in a site that has been utilised for TRUs during COVID19 relocation project.

b) A response to 2022 & 2023 Floods in Gauteng

1. The Gauteng floods affected 3188 households where the majority was in the City of Johannesburg. The affected households in CoJ are 3096 where 2322 houses were partially destroyed. The West Rand District has 29 houses affected, where all were partially destroyed. Sedibeng District has 63 affected houses, where 25 were partially destroyed.
2. A physical assessment and verification for all partially damaged houses is being finalised by the NHBRC. An application for funding shall be submitted as soon as this process is finalised. This will focus on assisting households on the repair of houses.