Reply:

 

1. The Department plans to conduct a needs analysis with regards to the suitability and applicability of current programmes to meet the needs and requirements of persons with disabilities. Currently the Department provides for a top-up to the current subsidy to respond to the needs of persons with disabilities who apply and are approved for a subsidised house. The Department has received requests for the current minimum norm and standard for a house for a person

with disabilities to be increased to 45m2 in size. The intention of the needs analysis is to ensure houses are constructed that comply with Part S of the South African National Standards (SANS 10400XA). Such standards provide that the house must conform to the universal design principles to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities.

This implies that the houses to be build would be tailor-made to suit different forms of physical disabilities and special needs to cater for persons who use or need walking aids, partially or full-time using a wheelchair, partially/profoundly deaf, partially/ blind, partially/total movement loss/paralysis in the upper body limbs.

1. The Department also plans to approve a policy on Special Housing Needs (SHN), in conjunction with the Department of Social Development, which will cater for those that are unable to live independently in a normal housing or require assistance in terms of a safe, supportive, and protective living environment and thus need some level of care or protection, be it temporary or permanent.

1. The table below provides a summary of what is recorded in the National Needs Register as 24 November 2021, in relation to backlog of provision of housing for persons with disabilities..

Reply:

 

(a.i) Farm dwellers still face extreme tenure insecurity and lack access to adequate housing and basic services. This is fuelled by matters related to management of labour relations on farms, migration out of farms due to various factors including evictions, as well as the rise of temporary and insecure work. According to the Community Household Survey (2016) the number of households engaged in agriculture was 2,3 million in 2016 compared with 2,9 million in 2011. More recent figures will in all probability confirm the trend

(a.ii) A total of 89 sites and 114 housing units were built in the farming areas, as per allocations and information provided by the Provinces of the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Mpumulanga and North West.

1. The specific housing related challenges include, amongst others:

• 1. The provision of basic services and adequate housing on farms, based on the fact that the farms are private properties;
  2. The persistent tensions that exist between commercial farmers, farm-workers, and the enforcement of constitutional and and land rights legislation;
  3. There are serious land tenure matters that hamper and complicate service delivery with respect to farm- workers,
  4. A number of rural municipalities confront the lack of technical capacity and expertise challenges, and as a

result may not be able to adequately cope with planning and the delivery of services.

However, to ensure the specific needs and nature to provide housing and human settlements in farming areas is dealt with through the programme namely “Farm Resident Subsidies in Part 3, Volume 5 of the National Housing Code, 2009”. Its purpose is to provide a flexible mechanism that promotes adequate housing, including basic services and secure tenure to farm workers and residents in a variety of farming situations across the country. It is implemented through Provincial Development Plans and Municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs).

Additional Information For Consideration Of The Director-General and Minister In The Finalisation Of the Reply

There are other supplementary programmes such as the National Housing Programme: Rural Housing – Informal Land Rights, implemented by the Department to support programmes of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), especially where farmers reside on land in communal tenure. The National Housing Programme for Farm Residence is also aligned with Land Reform: Labour Tenant Programme that promotes a holistic solution to address the housing and development needs of labour tenants targeted by the Land Reform Programme.

It is to be further noted that the Department is participating in consultation sessions with DALRRD in the development of a Farm Dweller Programme that seeks to, among others, protect the rights of farm dwellers, provide for tenure security, etc. The draft programme will further seek to consolidate all the various interventions by a number of Departments in this sector, and most importantly, to respond critical legislative instruments that have been passed, including court judgments.

Farmworker Housing Assistance
Financial Year	Province	Sites	Expenditure Sites	Units	Expenditure Units	Profession al Fees	Actual Bulk	Total Expenditure
2018	Gauteng	100	2 104 168	0	0	875 093	0	2 979 261
	Mpumalanga	0	0	85	7 019 974	535 205	0	7 555 179
Total		100	2 104 168	85	7 019 974	1 410 298	0	10 534 440
2019	Mpumalanga	0	0	0	389 389	0	0	389 389
Total		0	0	0	389 389	0	0	389 389
2020	North West	0	0	25	5 212 291	0	0	5 212 291
	Eastern Cape	89	8 925	89	14 617 200	408 000	0	15 034 125
Total		89	8 925	114	19 829 491	408 000	0	20 246 416
Source: HSS

Reply:

Honourable Member, here is the reply:

a) There are currently two employees acting in higher positions:

(i) Chief Director: Communications

(ii) Deputy Director-General: Informal Settlement Upgrading and Emergency Housing

b) The Chief Director: Communication was advertised and shortlisting is scheduled to take place before 20 December 2021, with the interview taking place before the end of January 2022. The Deputy Director-General post will be advertised by 28 January 2022 and be filled by the end of the financial year (31 March 2022).

Reply:

(1) The forensic audit has not yet commenced.

(2)(a) None.

(2)(b)(i)

(aa) & (bb) Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo & Grant Thornton Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd have been mandated to conduct the audit

and/or investigation.

(bb) Grant Thornton Advisory Services Pty Ltd.

(2)(ii) It was discovered that a potential conflict of interest exists as Grant

Thornton was contracted by the Estate Agency Affairs Board to conduct an audit of the Fidelity Fund in 2017. The Department will appoint a substitute forensic auditor by 31 December 2021.

Reply:

1. The criteria regarding

a) Memberships is informed by the 2011 Military Veterans Act, the Military Veterans Regulations Number 11 of 2014 and the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two Ministries to provide decent housing for Military Veterans.

According to Section 1(a) of the Military Veterans Act 18 of 2011,

"military veteran" means any South African citizen who (a) rendered military service to any of the military organizations, statutory and 15 non-statutory, which were involved on all sides of South Africa's Liberation War from 1960 to 1994; (b) served in the Union Defense Force before 1961; or (c) became a member of the new South African National Defense Force after 1994, 20 and has completed his or her military training and no longer performs military service, and has not been dishonourably discharged from that military organization or force: Provided that this definition does not exclude any person referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) who could not complete his or her military training due to an injury sustained during military training or a disease contracted or associated with military training;

b) The list of potential beneficiaries eligible for the housing benefit is provided by the Department of Military Veterans on an annual basis. The list is signed off by the Accounting Officer/ Director General of the Department of Military Veterans after all verification processes from DMV are concluded and it includes both the statutory and non-statutory forces. The list is then captured on the Housing Subsidy System (HSS) and immediately thereafter dispatched to Provinces.

Reply:

All new houses constructed with the use of the National Housing Subsidy must be enrolled with National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC). All Provinces and Municipalities must also in terms of required NHBRC regulations enrol the projects within which houses are constructed. The enrolment with the NHBRC ensures that the houses have a five-year warranty from the day of occupation. The warranty covers the following:

(1) Minor defects within 3-months from date of occupation.

(2) Roof leaks within 1-year from date of occupation and

(3) Major structural defects within 5-years from date of occupation.

Where a defect is detected, the housing consumer should as an initial step notify the home builder of any complaint(s) within a reasonable period. It is expected that the home builder will attend to the complaint again within a reasonable timeframe.

Where the Province or Municipality are the developer and enrolled the project and house, then the complaint maybe lodged with the Province or Municipality. If the compliant is not attended to or resolved between the parties, then the complaint maybe escalated to the NHBRC.

In terms of legislation and regulations, the NHBRC has the responsibility to protect the interests of homeowners, and this includes resolution of complaints received from homeowners against a home builder.

Reply:

(1) The youngest recipient of the Military Veterans Housing Programme was 35 years old when she was allocated a house on the 10th December 2019.

Reply:

What total amount was spent on the Ministerial event hosted in Duncan Village in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality on 11 March 2021, including:

a) Logistics – The Department of Human Settlements spent R0.00

The Housing Development Agency was the event organiser and responsible for all logistical arrangements on 11 March 2021 in Duncan Village.

Accommodation (x 12 staff 2/3 nights)	R50 400,00
Flights (x 11 staff)	R32 368,05
Car Rental (x1)	R3 602,65
Shuttles (x 6 staff)	R7 550,00
Tent Hire & Chairs for 200 Pax Lunch & Water for 250 Pax P.A System	R92 120,75
Travel Agency Service Fees	R615,00
TOTAL	R186,650-45

 

b) Photographers and drone specialists – The Department of Human Settlements spent R0.00.

The Department of Human Settlements together with the Department of Water and Sanitation deployed internal photographers – staff members.

c) Ministerial Security – One staff member from the Security Unit of the Department of Human Settlements was deployed to the event.

d) Accommodation and Travel – Thirteen members of the Department and Ministry travelled to BCM at total amount of R181 915.00

 

 

Reply:

1 a) The Houses have not yet been completed, however construction is still underway.

b) i) 41 Houses have been handed over to beneficiaries and they are still 237 houses to be handed over- the delay was due to community unrests which led to the contractor vacating the site. More delays were caused by additional remedial work that had to be done on some of the houses.

ii) We are following engagements between the councillor and the community to resolve any problems that they had with regards to the additional works that have to be done, a submission has been done by the Department of Human Settlements to request additional funding.

2) R 28 241 413.25

3) The contractor was paid all claims for work done and the department does not owe the contractor anything.

4) a) the delays were caused by community unrests which led to the contractors vacating site. More delays were caused by additional remedial works that had to be done on some of the houses and needed extra cost to complete them.

b) June 2021

c) the matter is no longer with both the Former MEC and Former Minister it is with The department of Human Settlements Administration and attending to resolve it. The current Acting Head of Department is addressing the outstanding variations.

 

 

Reply:

Based on the provisions of the Residential Rent Relief Programme (RRRP), the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA), an entity of the National Department, has been appointed as the designated programme manager for the RRRP. The SHRA utilises applicable accredited Social Housing Institutions (SHI’s) or Other Development Agents (ODA’s), as the conduits to receive and submit applications on behalf and for the benefit of tenants. An SHI and/or ODA are the landlords for units regulated by the SHRA. The successful applicants are then notified, and approved payments are then made to the landlord in favour of the tenant’s account.

The National Department of Human Settlements has transferred the RRRP funds to the SHRA in the 2020/21 financial year. The SHRA has advised the Department that it has not distributed the money to the tenants of the affordable housing. However, SHRA has since procured the required resources to assist with implementation of the RRRP. To date, the SHRA has considered applications received in two rounds of requests to tenants, in the months of July 2021 and August 2021.

A total of 144 applications were received and assessed. Of these 144 applications, 54 tenants (37.5%) have been approved and are to receive a rent relief award to a total value of R324 118.53 The table below provides the details.

Table 1: Applications Rent Relief for Social Housing Tenants by province and institution - 31 August 2021

Province / Project	No. of Approved	Value of Grant Award Approved	No. of Pending Application	No. of Pending Application	Total No. of Tenant Applications
Eastern Cape	1	9 500.00	1	1	3
Housing Authority of East London	1	9 500.00	1		2
SOHCO Property Investment NPC:				1	1
Gauteng	22	142 641.25	51	19	92
Johannesburg Housing Company	3	26 600.00	22	8	33
Madulammoho Housing Association	13	80 771.25	28	8	49
Norvena Property Consortium	6	35 270.00	1	3	10
Kwazulu-Natal	6	31 567.42	1		7
KwaZulu Natal Social Housing	1	5 700.00	1		2
SOHCO Property Investment NPC:	5	25 867.42			5
Western Cape	25	140 409.86	9	8	42
Madulammoho Housing Association	19	119 559.82	8	7	34
SOHCO Property Investment NPC	6	20 850.04	1	1	8
Total	54	324 118.53	62	28	144

(a) Based on the provisions of the RRRP no funds have been disbursed in favour of the tenants to date for the following reasons:

1. The waiting period for National Treasury approval for the roll-over of funds allocated in the prior financial year is required; and

2. Lower than anticipated number of applications have been received due to lack of general awareness of the programme, and qualification criteria in terms of eligibility as per the qualification criterion which includes:

a) A tenant in good standing requirement and;

b) The period of application being 01st April 2020 to 30 September 2020

c) Many tenants were not in good standing at the start of the hard lock

down or the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic manifesting post

September 2020

(b) Duration of the Programme

This Programme is a temporary relief measure based on the impact of the various state of disasters declared to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications will only be considered until funds in terms of the funding allocation made by National Treasury in terms of reprioritised grant funding are exhausted. No expectation must be created that the Residential Rental Relief Programme will be extended beyond the approved stipulated time period, and/or exhaustion of the available funds allocated by the National Treasury

Given the intent of the programme to provide for those impacted by the state of disaster hard lockdowns in 2020, the Programme is to be rolled out within the 2021/22 year and the intention is not to extend the RRRP beyond March 2022.

(bb) Qualification Criteria

The following tenants qualify to apply for rent relief: -

• • 1. The tenant must be a South African citizen or in possession of a valid South African permanent residence permit.
    2. The tenant must have been renting the property for his/her private and primary residential use since 31 March 2020 (or before), in terms of a valid lease agreement.
    3. The tenant must have been in good standing at the date of the commencement of the state of disaster and level 5 lockdown, as at 31 March 2020.
    4. The tenant's combined gross household income must be R15 000 per month or less.
    5. The tenant must submit proof that her/his household income reduced by at least 50% due to the state of disaster resulting from the Covid - 19 pandemic - the material period for determinations of loss of income is the period for which relief is sought (and not income at the time of applications).
    6. The tenant must not have been in rental arrears, as of 29 February 2020, OR have been less than 30 days in arrears by end of March 2020.
    7. The tenant must have a repayment agreement in place.
    8. The tenant must display that she/he has been unable to pay full rental during the lockdown because of loss of income caused by the economic downturn associated with the state of disaster on the COVID-19 pandemic.
    9. The tenant must be over 18 years of age on the date of lodging an application for rent relief.
    10. The tenant must not currently own any residential property in full ownership, leasehold or deed of grant.
    11. Special Provisions:
        • The fact that a lessee may have previously benefitted from any form of housing assistance from the Government of the Republic of South Africa, shall not disqualify him/her from receiving a rent relief grant. Being a beneficiary of the Rent Relief Programme in no way whatsoever will disqualify a qualifying lessee from future participation in another National Housing Programme.
        • Preferential treatment will be given in cases of tenants who are pensioners and or disabled, or who have pensioners and/or disabled persons as part of their household

 

Reply:

The report is attached hereto as Annexure A.

Reply:

Based on information received as well as a consultation with the Western Cape Provincial Department of Human Settlements, the Better Living Challenge (BLC) started in 2014 to respond to socio-economic needs of communities and to spur job creation. It was co-funded by the Western Cape Provincial Department, of Human Settlements and Economic Development and Tourism.

The target groups of the BLC are:

1. Residents who only qualify to receive a serviced site from government and are required to build their own structures,
2. Residents already living within informal settlements, to assist them to build safer structures and promote dignity by utilising the principles from the tutorials, and
3. Small-scale builders who are already assisting residents in informal areas, which are key to economic empowerment.

The Western Cape Provincial Department of Human Settlements reported that they engaged with various communities, including in Du Noon, Khayelitsha and Philippi, on their needs and priorities to design the initiative to respond to the respective requirements and attain the necessary community support. The initiative is aimed at assisting those still waiting for housing opportunities and cannot assist themselves in any other way to, in the very least, build a safer structure. The initiative has been well received by the communities and was also nominated for a Human City Design Award in 2019 hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network, the Human Cities Network, and the World Design Organisation.

In addition, the incubator programme facilitated the training of fifteen (15) local small-scale builders from Du Noon, Khayelitsha and Philippi in the City of Cape Town informal settlements, not only building and material-selection skills, but also entrepreneurship, sales, marketing, and personal development skills. Workshops were held with community builders and stakeholders in Sibanye in Moorreesburg and Swartland, in December 2020 as well as with other communities in Grabouw in the Theewaterskloof Municipality. The BLC, via the Cape Design Institute, also developed tutorial videos, which is aimed at small scale builders and the facilitators, including municipal housing official, within the informal settlements upgrade sector who are conducting workshops with community builders.

The Province advises that the BLC has thus far assisted many informal settlement communities directly in the Breede Valley and Drakenstein Municipalities, and the Provincial Department has also shared the initiative with Non-Governmental Organisations working within informal settlement areas, Municipal human settlements and housing officials across the Province, relevant sector Departments and the National Department of Human Settlements.

The National Department has in place policies, planning, programmes and funding interventions to ensure that informal settlements are upgraded, and this includes ensuring households are provided with security of tenure and access to water, sanitation, energy with access to socio-economic development and opportunities, to ensure an improved quality of life.

The National Department of Human Settlements will undertake further consultation with the Western Cape Province to ensure that the outcomes of the BLC are congruent with that of the policies and programmes of the Department. On this matter the Department was advised that the BLC also includes an initiative to promote adequate housing. The Department has advised the Western Cape Province, that all the outcomes of the BLC must ensure that all required minimum norms and standards of the Department as well as compliance with building regulations and specifications. In addition, the dignity of all households must be respected.

Reply:

Financial Year	Total number of Fidelity Fund Certificates
2015/16	43 729
2016/17	48 563
2017/18	49 645
2018/19	51 430
2019/20	47 356
2020/21	51 063

Reply:

1. The total cost of appointment is R1 057 075.20.

2. A more information will be provided after having interacted with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) Report on the matter.

3. N/A

Reply:

(a) Number of incoming calls picked up by the automated welcome voice message
(i) Each office	(ii) Location	(iii) Month
19984	Call centre	January
19306	Call centre	February
0	Call centre	March
0	Call centre	April
3806	Call centre	May
13759	Call centre	June
17425	Call centre	July
15859	Call centre	August
19681	Call centre	September
23393	Call centre	October
19750	Call centre	November
13097	Call centre	December

(b) Number of incoming calls that were answered by staff members (call centre)
(i) Each office	(ii) Location	(iii) Month
11684	Call centre	January
10922	Call centre	February
0	Call centre	March
0	Call centre	April
3526	Call centre	May
12643	Call centre	June
15592	Call centre	July
14218	Call centre	August
16319	Call centre	September
18412	Call centre	October
14706	Call centre	November
9780	Call centre	December

(c) Number of incoming calls disconnected without it being answered
(i) Each office	(ii) Location	(iii) Month
8285	Call centre	January
8372	Call centre	February
0	Call centre	March
0	Call centre	April
280	Call centre	May
1116	Call centre	June
1833	Call centre	July
1641	Call centre	August
3362	Call centre	September
4981	Call centre	October
5044	Call centre	November
3317	Call centre	December