Question NW746 to the Minister of Human Settlements
08 April 2024 - NW746
Montwedi, Mr Mk to ask the Minister of Human Settlements
Whether there are still projects of Reconstruction and Development Programme houses that remain unfinished to date; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) are the reasons behind the delays, (b)(i) time frames have been put in place to complete the specified projects and (ii) total amount required for the completion and (c) are the relevant details regarding the stages of completion?
Reply:
The Department of Human Settlements still has a number of incomplete/blocked projects in relation to the BNG houses that were formerly known as the RDPs. These incomplete projects spread across all nine provinces. However, there has been a significant improvement in unblocking these projects.
(a)(i)
Provinces have cited a number of contributory factors to the delays in completing the blocked projects that they are expected to finalise. Some of the reasons mentioned by provinces are as follows:
- Lack of bulk infrastructure in most of the areas where blocked projects are located.
- Difficult terrains leading to double handling fees on the contractor’s side.
- The structural assessments conducted by NHBRC on incomplete projects takes too long in some instances.
- Scattered nature of projects and etc
Considering that these projects have been left incomplete for too long, they are usually exposed harsh weather conditions for years on the ground and provinces are expected to conduct structural tests before the reconstruction of the incomplete units. The structural assessment is the prerequisite which will determine the structural integrity for each structure on the ground. This will assist in determining the cost of the projects particularly where there are existing structures.
(b)(i)
During my visit to Free State Province in 2021, I discovered a number of incomplete/blocked that were not being prioritised for completion. As the responsible Minister of the portfolio, I issued a directive to all provinces to complete the unfinished/blocked projects within a period of three years starting from financial year 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25.
(b)(ii)
There is no dedicated funding that is allocated to provinces to complete the blocked projects. These projects are funded through their allocations on Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) and they are at different milestones.
Considering that NHBRC is still conducting structural assessments in other areas, it will not be possible to provide an exact amount required to complete these projects as the expected expenditure is informed by the final structural assessment reports.
(c)
During 2022, as a sector we were able to identify three thousand four hundred and forty-five (3445) and to date, provinces have since completed three thousand one hundred and fifty (3150) projects.