Question NW2972 to the MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
13 October 2023 - NW2972
Mogale, Mr T to ask the MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
(1)(a) On what date will she pay an oversight visit to the Thembelihle housing project in Ward 58, Tshwane, which her department has erected without electrical services or any source of power provided for over a year, in order to get first-hand information on what is happening, (b) what are the reasons that the situation in Thembelihle has been allowed to reach the level in which it is and (c) what role has her department played in resolving the problems in Thembelihle; (2) whether she has found that the intervention measures that her department has put in place are appropriate and will resolve the challenges; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1)(a) The Date for oversight visit for Thembelihle Housing project has not been determined. Information about the oversight visit will be made available once it has been determined.
Thembelihle Project is one of the completed and tenanted social housing projects and was completed with all services including electrical services. The services were only disconnected by the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality due to default in payments of services as a result of rental boycott by residents.
(b)The primary reason for the current situation at Thembelihle is a result of the rental boycott that has been ongoing for over 5 years. The consequences of rental boycotts are the suspension of municipal services, lack of maintenance and non payment and default by the delivery agents on their senior debt covenants. All these factors ultimately expose any project to illegal invasion and hijacking thus posing a real threat to the sector’s stability.
(c) It must be restated that rent payment is a non- negotiable for sustainable social rental programme. Until now the approach by the Department has been to avoid evictions but to engage the tenants to start paying for their stay at Thembelihle. The evictions are only considered as a measure of last resort.
(2). On the 19 September 2023 the board of Yeast City Housing, the Social Housing Institution responsible for the management of Thembelihle, convened an urgent board meeting to consider amongst other matters the low levels of rent collection, the financial stability of the project, the possibility for business rescue and finding ways of restoring municipality services.
It must be noted that recently there has been a change of management at Thembelihle to try and turn around the current situation. The new management must be supported and given space to attempt to rescue the situation. A comprehensive report will be made available by the SHRA and Yeast City Housing which will allow for a more focused intervention.