Question NW2919 to the Minister of Human Settlements
27 October 2017 - NW2919
Ndlozi, Dr MQ to ask the Minister of Human Settlements
With reference to her reply to question 2468 on 5 September 2017, why has Mr Sipho Mnguni (details furnished) not been allocated an RDP house and why was one not built for him?
Reply:
As the Honourable Member is aware, housing is a concurrent function and the Housing Act of 1997 clearly stipulates the mandates of the national, provincial and local spheres of government in respect of housing delivery. In addition, the National Housing Code 2009 requires municipalities to include a Housing Chapter in their Integrated Development Plans. The case that the Honourable Member is inquiring about resides within the local sphere, at the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality to be specific.
The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality has advised that it has not been able to construct a house for the person referred to by the Honourable Member due to the following reasons:
- The site on which he resides is situated on unfavourable topography (steep terrain) and
- There are four other families residing informally on the same site.
The eThekwini Municipality also advised that the person referred to by the Honourable Member is not prepared to relocate to an alternative site, as was suggested by the Municipality. This means that a retaining wall will have to be constructed when the construction of the house commences.
My Department has also been informed by the eThekwini Municipality, that it was in the process of identifying alternative land for the four families who are at present informally residing on the same site, and the target date for the completion of the process of relocation (once the site has been identified) is June 2018.