Human Settlements

2014-03-18

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Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1920

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17 OCTOBER 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) How was a certain company (Sizwe Ntsaluba-Gobodo) appointed as a service provider to conduct a forensic investigation into the affairs of the Social Housing Regulatory Authority;

(2) what (a) were the terms of reference for the investigation, (b) was the cost of the investigation, (c) were the findings of the investigation and (d) were the full recommendations from the investigation;

(3) has her department implemented the recommendations of the forensic investigation; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2302E

REPLY

(1) During mid-2013, the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) became aware of the unauthorized withdrawal of grant funding by a Social Housing Institution (Camel Rock) where such funding was provided by SHRA. The project was funded by SHRA as part of a provincial special project. Furthermore, during July 2013, it came to the attention of SHRA that the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) had obtained a preservation order to prevent Camel Rock from accessing any further funds provided by SHRA.

These occurrences and the allegations made by the NDPP were viewed in a serious light by SHRA's Council. It therefore contracted the services of external legal service providers, Webber Wentzel, to provide advice on its legal position in respect of the NDPP High Court application. Webber Wentzel was appointed to represent SHRA in the aforesaid litigation.

At a meeting on 6 August 2013, the Council of SHRA resolved to expand the brief of Webber Wentzel to include obtaining the assistance of a forensic services and advisory firm as such a forensic report would assist Webber Wentzel in providing the legal advice sought.

Considering the urgency involved, an abbreviated closed tender process was followed inviting four forensic accounting and auditing firms to submit proposals. A 'terms of reference' was drafted and the four service providers were invited to tender. The four firms were PWC, KPMG, Deloittes, and Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo (SNG). Following the abbreviated process and negotiations that followed, Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo were appointed.

(2) (a) SNG were appointed by Webber Wentzel to prepare a forensic report on the manner in which the funds were granted to Camel Rock including the processes followed by SHRA prior to such grant (Part A). Furthermore, they were contracted to complete a "Part B" to investigate all other similar projects which were provincially initiated projects but funded through SHRA.

(b) The amounts quoted were:

Part A - R188 000 (this related to the much more urgent matter of Camel Rock, which was the subject matter of the litigation).

Part B - R550 000 (this related to several other provincially driven projects and was therefore more extensive than only one project as in Part A).

(c) The findings included that SHRA's top management that reported directly to the Council failed to adhere to the required processes in granting funds to Camel Rock and other Social Housing institutions. Furthermore, payments were made without proper processes being followed.

(d) The recommendations included SHRA Council considering taking disciplinary action against several employees, including its top management who reported to Council.

(3) The SHRA Council commissioned the forensic investigation and not the Department. Accordingly, the SHRA Council had on 9 December 2013 suspended the Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Services Manager pending disciplinary charges. Disciplinary action was instituted against the CEO, CSM, Investment Manager and Technical Manager.-

Both the CEO and CSM chose not to attend the disciplinary hearings, and took the SHRA to the CCMA instead. In the CSM's case he argued constructive dismissal and on 31 March 2014 the CCMA ruled against the CSM in favour of the SHRA. The CCMA concluded the matter against the former CEO on 16 September 2014 in favour of the SHRA and the Minister was informed of the ruling on 06 October 2014.

A case was also opened by the SHRA Council with the Hillbrow SAPS Police Station and charges levied against the former CEO and CSM for gross negligence in administration of funds and lack of adherence to Division of Revenue Act, Public Finance Management Act and other statutory prescripts. The matter has been transferred to the Commercial Criminal Court and is under investigation by the Hawks. The charges were as a result of the SizweNtsaluba Gobodo ("SNG") forensic report commissioned by the Council on issues relating to the above investigation to irregular disbursement of funds to the Provincial Special Projects and other Social Housing Institutions.

The Disciplinary Hearing findings against the Investment Manager and Technical Manager were as follows:

(a) The Investment Manager was found guilty on all the charges but he resigned before the hearings were concluded.

(b) The Technical Manager was given a written warning valid for three months on 23 July 2014.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1820

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) With reference to the temporary and/or permanent housing development on the farm Altoostyd in the Lephalale Municipality, was an environmental impact assessment (EIA) conducted; if not, why not; if so, what were the recommendations of the EIA;

(2) whether any of the houses will be built below the 100 years flood line; if so, (a) why and (b) what steps are being taken to mitigate against the effects of flooding;

(3) whether any property has been transferred to (a) the municipality or (b) her department; if not, why has work commenced on site; if so, (a) when was the transfer done, (b) what was the purchase price and (c) when was the payment made to the former owner? NW2193E

REPLY

(1) The Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism in Limpopo approved the environmental impact assessment (EIA) based on the information made available subject to compliance with the following conditions:

· The development must commence within a period of 3 years from the date the authorization was issued.

· This authorization does not negate the holder of the authorization's responsibility to comply with any other statutory requirements that may be applicable to the understanding of the activity.

· Construction workers must be trained on the mitigation measures and the Environmental Management Plan outlined in the EIA report and the impacts on the environment.

· The applicant must enter into an agreement with the municipality for supply of water and sanitation.

· The Department reserves the right to monitor and audit the development throughout its full life cycle to ensure that it adheres to all the conditions and mitigation measures.

· The site must be monitored by the body corporate on a regular basis during the construction phase.

· The site must be rehabilitated to the state prior to the construction of the development

· Construction activities must be suspended and a representative of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) be contacted immediately in the event of finding or uncovering any subterranean (middens, graves, etc) finds.

· Disturbance to vegetation must be restricted to the absolute minimum and areas disturbed as a result of construction must be rehabilitated as soon as possible to the satisfaction the Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism

· Unless the necessary permission is granted, no protected plant species and major trees must be removed but be incorporated in the design and layout plan. Illegal poaching and snaring of any animal during construction shall be prohibited.

· All waste generated on site during the operation of the development must be stored, handled and disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner as directed by that Department.

(2)(a) The flood line report stated that the property is affected by flood water within the 1:100 year period as depicted on the flood-line map. The area is suitable for the proposed development.

(b) The survey provided indicated that no houses will be built on top of any stream. No houses will be flooded when a 1:100 storm event take place. It was further recommended that additional intervention should be provided through engineering design of the following aspects of the proposed development:

· Storm-water run-off channels;

· Appropriate landscaping design which will take advantage of excavation 2 and excavation 3 as catchment for surplus runoff water during thunderstorms.

· The use of sand within the river bed for construction purpose will also improve water runoff and thus reduce the risk of flooding.

(3) (a) No, the land has not yet been transferred to the Municipality or the National Department;

(b) No

(i) The purchase price was R45 000 000;

(ii) It was acquired during the 2007/2008 financial year

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1750

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr M L Shelembe (NFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

What is her department's (a) programme with regard to the upgrading of Alexandra township and (b) plan with regard to (i) clearance of slums and (ii) the upgrading of the hostels in this township? NW2120E

REPLY

(a) In accordance with the approved housing strategy for the Alexandra Renewal Programme (ARP), it is required that 45 000 new housing units of mixed tenure and typology be constructed in Alexandra. This is required in order to replace approximately 80% of the current housing structures that are not upgradable and need to be demolished and replaced with new housing stock. In addition, 17 000 households need to be relocated out of Alexandra to new housing projects in surrounding areas as part of the de-densification process.

(b) (i) If what is contemplated in (a) above could be implemented without any challenges, it will result in the eradication of all pockets of informal settlement that currently still exist in Alexandra.

(ii) In terms of the ARP, the M2 Nobuhle Hostel is currently being re-developed. To date, a total of 186 new housing units and 286 rooms have been converted into self-sustainable housing units. A contractor is currently in the process of converting a further 442 rooms into self-sustainable housing units as well as the construction of 128 new housing units. It is envisaged that this phase will be completed in June 2015and that would mean the completion of the re-development of the Nobuhle Hostel.

The re-development of the M1 Madala Hostel and Helen Joseph Hostel are currently at planning and design stage. According to the most recent plans a total of 1 700 new housing units in respect of M1, and 850 new housing units in respect of Helen Joseph, will be constructed on the respective hostel sites based on a decision to demolish the existing hostel buildings. All new housing units will be of mixed tenure and typology to respond to a variety of housing needs that exist within the hostel communities.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1683

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

Ms T Baker (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) (a) How many vacancies currently exist in her department and (b) how long has each post been vacant;

(2) have these vacancies been advertised; if so, in each case, (a) when were they advertised and (b) what is the anticipated time frame for filling each vacancy? NW2044E

REPLY

(1) The Honourable member is referred to the audited information contained in the 2013/14 annual report of my department which was tabled on 29 September 2014. Information beyond this period will have to be verified before submitting it to the Honourable member.

(2) Vacancies are advertised once all necessary information has been established. This includes establishing whether the vacant post is critical and taking into account the availability of resources. This is in line with the National Treasury caution that Departments should prioritise critical posts because of the envisaged budget cuts.

Experience has shown that it takes longer than normal to fill vacant post which require highly skilled workforce. As a result, delays are encountered in filling some vacant posts. The Department aims to fill vacant posts within three to four months after they have occurred.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1644

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

Ms T Gqada (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(a) Which posts in her department are vacant in the (i) highly skilled, (ii) highly skilled supervision and (iii) senior and top management levels and (b) in each case, what has been the duration of the vacancy? NW2005E

REPLY

The Honourable member is referred to the audited information contained in the 2013/14 annual report of my department which was tabled on 29 September 2014. Information beyond this period will have to be verified before submitting it to the Honourable member.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1522

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr Y Cassim (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether (a) her department and/or (b) any entities reporting to her sponsored political party (i) advertisements, (ii) events and/or (iii) paraphernalia in the (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13 and (cc) 2013-14 financial years; if so, (aaa) for which political party and (bbb) what was the monetary value of the sponsorship in each case? NW1892E

REPLY

The Department has indicated to me that neither the department nor the entities reporting to it have sponsored any political party for advertisements or marketing paraphernalia or events management related matter in any of the financial years referred to in the question.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1492

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

What is the quantum of funds spent by her department on all advertising for each financial year between 1 April 2010 up to the latest specified date for which information is available? NW1858E

REPLY

The amount spent on advertising by the Department each year is reflected in the annual report tabled in Parliament at the end of each financial year. Undoubtedly, the Honourable member will find this line item in these reports.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1459

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr E J Marais (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(a) Which travel agents has her department used during the period 1 April 2012 up to the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) what is the quantum of funds spent with each of the specified travel agents in the specified period? NW1825E

REPLY

(a) (i) Between 1 April to 31 August 2012 (5 months) the department used Travel with Flair.

(ii) From 1 September 2012 to 31 August 2014 (24 months) the department used BCD Travel

(b) I am not sure what is meant by the word quantum. However, all travel related costs incurred by the department are available in the annual reports which are submitted to Parliament.

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1411

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(a) What is the total number of positions in her department and (b) how many positions are (i) vacant and (ii) filled in an acting capacity? NW1776E

REPLY

The Information requested by the Honourable member is provided in the 2013/14 annual report which was tabled on 29 September 2014.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1410

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) (a) How many houses are being earmarked to be built for military veterans and (b) what criteria were used to select the recipients;

(2) how many of the recipients are from (a) uMkhonto weSizwe, (b) the Azanian Peoples' Liberation Army, (c) the SA Defence Force and (d) the SA National Defence Force? NW1775E

REPLY

(1) (a) In terms of the information received from the Department of Military Veterans, the current number of military veterans who require housing assistance is estimated at 5 854.

(b) The Department of Military Veterans is managing the housing provision initiative and the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans has published the Military Veteran Benefits Regulations in Gazette 37355 on 19 February 2014. These Regulations provide clarity on the nature of the benefits to be provided and who will be eligible for the benefits under the housing programme as follows:

"Criteria to Qualify for Housing

14 (1) A military veterans qualifies for a housing benefit of a total value not exceeding R175 000, if he or she:

(a) is not employed and receives a pension from the State; or

(b) is employed and has an annual income of less than R125 000, 00;

And

(i) Does not own a house;

(ii) Has not previously received a house or other housing benefits from the State; or

(iii) If he or she is in a spousal relationship, his or her spouse has not received a house or other housing benefit from the State; and

(2) Where a military veteran owns a house and the total sum of the balance of of the mortgage loan registered in his or her name at a registered financial institution is equal to or less than housing benefit to which he or she would, but for sub-regulation (1)(i), have been entitled in terms of these regulations, the Department may, despite his or her disqualification by that sub-regulation from being entitled to a housing benefit, settle the outstanding balance of the mortgage loan with that financial institution, whereupon the military veteran forfeits his or her housing benefit which he or she would, but for that sub-regulation, otherwise have been entitled to in terms of these regulations had it not been for such settlement.

(2) The information provided to us is not categorised as per the Honourable member's question. Further, the member is encouraged to consult the Military Veterans Act, 2011 (Act No. 18 of 2011) for the definition of the military veteran and read it conjunction with section 14 (1) of the regulations referred to above.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1330

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether the Government has any policy on transforming townships into well-planned and viable (a) residential and (b) commercial areas serving people of all races and colour so that they do not remain perennial hot spots for service delivery protests, violence and the destruction of property as it has happened once again in Nyanga on 1 September 2014; if not, why not; if so what are the (i) details and (ii) timetable for the respective townships? NW1525E

REPLY

Yes. Government has introduced a holistic integrated human settlement development Programme in 2007 in line with the policy objectives expressed in the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Sustainable Human Settlements: Breaking New Ground (BNG). The Programme is known as the Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP). The IRDP provides funding for the acquisition of well-located land, the planning and design of a fully fledge residential township with all the required land use rights, the installation of full economic level municipal engineering services to all the stands in the town and the construction of houses for housing subsidy beneficiaries, the provision of social and economic amenities, the sale of stands to higher income households who are able to independently resolve their housing needs and the sale of all the business and commercial stands via an open tender processes. A fully integrated development approach is thus followed and this is implemented in a coordinated manner to ensure that all the public service facilities such as schools, clinics, Police stations, and so forth are properly planned and constructed during the relevant phases of the development process.

To ensure that existing towns where basic social and economic amenities have not yet been provided are also upgraded through the provision of the required basic amenities, Government introduced a special National Housing Programme: Provision of Basic Social and Economic Amenities. This Programme provides capital grants to municipalities for the development of the following facilities in new and existing towns as well as informal settlements are upgraded:

· A community hall that may accommodate a crèche as part of the complex;

· A medical care facility;

· Community parks and playgrounds;

· A taxi rank;

· Sport facilities;

· Small business trading areas; and

· Ablution facilities at each of the above where required.

The specific detailed project prioritisation and planning authority vest with the nine provincial Governments in collaboration with their respective municipalities. The full annual Human Settlement Development Grant Allocation for the implementation of the National Housing Programmes is divided and allocated to the nine Provincial Governments in terms of an agreed allocation formula. The Provincial Governments are obliged to determine how the funding will be spent and which areas will receive priority. This prioritisation is undertaken against the background of the National Governments identified priorities, current contractual commitments, prioritised projects agreed to between the municipalities and the Provincial Governments and funds required for project management and the maintenance of existing public sector owned properties. Provincial Governments are also obliged to table annual business plans on how their allocated funding will be expended, linked to projected cash flow planning. The detailed planning of each area is thus available from the Provincial Governments.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1273

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 5 SEPTEMBER 2014

Ms T Gqada (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) What amount has been (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on rectification of the Sweet Waters project in the Eastern Cape due to poor workmanship;

(2) how many houses will be rectified;

(3) (a) what action has been taken against contractors who built houses of poor quality and (b) how many have been blacklisted from doing business with the Government? NW1564E

REPLY

(1) (a) An amount of R10 337 504.12 was budgeted for the Sweet Waters Rectification Project.

(b) Total expenditure on the project was R10 337 504.12

(2) One hundred and thirty four (134) houses were rectified of which 67 were demolished and re-built and 67 were rectified.

(3) (a) In terms of the contract, there are remedial clauses that apply in the case of breach of contract. Before termination and/or blacklisting, contractors are given an opportunity to remedy the situation where necessary.

(b) The province has advised that contracts involving Youth in Construction and Ntabeni Construction have been terminated and that the two contractors have not been contracted to do other work in the province.

Various challenges were experienced that are related to non-performance by different contractors involved in the project. These include:

Youth in Construction:

Youth in Construction were appointed by the Buffalo City Municipality (as the Developers) to build the first 120 houses in September 2005. They only managed to build 87 houses which were also defective. The Provincial Department had to take over the developer status.

Ntabeni Construction:

The Provincial Department then appointed Ntabeni Construction in 2008 to build 500 houses. Due to non-performance, Ntabeni Construction contract was also terminated on 27th November 2009 after they managed to construct only 55 structures which were at finishing stage.

MMS Construction:

The Provincial Department then appointed MMS Construction in November 2010 to construct 445 houses with a contract value of R 35 002 810.00 (R78 658.00 per house). MMS managed to finish 410 houses. During the construction process it was discovered that 21 sites were not developable due to their geological conditions and 3 sites were already allocated to a church. The scope of the contract of MMS Construction was extended in October 2012 to cover the "Rectification of 134 houses" that were poorly constructed by the previous contractors at a value of R 9 148 762.00. The "Rectification" work on the 134 houses was completed in January 2013. The Department identified the remaining 35 sites on the land that was contested by the King Williams Town Housing Association (KWITHA). The dispute was settled in 2013 in favour of the Department. That enabled the extension of MMS contract to construct 35 houses covering price escalation of R2 974 447.35 in the 2010/2011 financial year.

It must be noted that although the project has a scope of 620 houses, only 579 houses could be completed. It was discovered during implementation that there were not enough sites provided to cater for extra houses. The Department is in the process of reducing the scope of the project to 579.

Honourable member, the issue of the rectification programme remains a concern for me. I wish to reiterate what I said during my speech at the Govan Mbeki awards held on 14 August 2014, that it is my intention to scrap this programme and ensure that the onus is on each contractor to build properly or return to repair.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1223

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 5 SEPTEMBER 2014

Ms D Carter (Cope) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) Whether the national housing subsidy programme is stimulating quantifiable rural and urban development year-on-year; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether any one of the six different funding options available for those who are eligible for a subsidy on the basis of earning below a specified amount per month is most attractive and therefore beneficial to (a) rural and (b) urban development; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1461E

REPLY

(1) Yes. This is demonstrated by the fact that government has built quantifiable 3.7 million houses since 1994.

The Government's National Housing Subsidy Programme has since March 1994 evolved into a comprehensive and needs oriented housing assistance tool. It has been designed to address the specific housing needs of households residing on "communal land" in the rural areas of the country where individual ownership of the property is not possible, as well as to address the needs of households in urban settlements where township development and proclamation, and thus transfer of ownership of the subsidised properties are possible.

The nine Provincial Governments annually plan the application of each of the National Housing Programmes in accordance with the needs of the communities identified. This is done in collaboration with the various municipalities and in accordance with the social contracts concluded with their communities. My Department monitors the implementation of these plans on a quarterly basis in order to ensure that these commitments are met and the funding is spent appropriately.

(2) Yes. The various National Housing Programmes have been tailored to address the specific circumstances that may be found in both urban and rural areas and include the following:

(i) Individual housing subsidies where the property to be acquired is located in a proclaimed rural township and transfer of ownership is possible.

(ii) Housing Subsidy Scheme Project based developments in proclaimed rural townships.

(iii) Rural Subsidies: Informal Land Rights in areas where the beneficiaries only have functional security of tender to land governed by the community of local authority;

(iv) The Enhanced Peoples Housing Process options where beneficiaries wish to participate in the construction of the homes;

(v) Institutional Housing Subsidies that are undertaken by approved housing institutions for rental purposes on land secured for this purpose by the institution;

(vi) Rural Individual Voucher Scheme subsidies that was designed for individual beneficiaries in rural areas who only have functional tenure rights to the land they occupy and where project based development will not realised. This programme is only available in certain pilot projects will soon be extended to KZN and it is administered by the RHLF.

However, it is acknowledged that the rural residents are limited with regard to the housing options available to them. In the first place households occupying communal land on the basis of informal tenure rights are not at liberty to apply for individual subsidies and are thus also excluded from accessing mortgage bonds. It is also a fact that many rural residents are, for a variety of reasons, excluded from project based developments for the foreseeable future. Government has therefore developed a new "hybrid" Programme to assist those households who are prepared to construct their own dwellings. The Programme is referred to as Individual Rural Housing Subsidy Voucher Scheme and it is implemented by Government's Rural Housing Loan Fund.

The Scheme provides for the granting of a voucher, pre-loaded with funds, and allows the beneficiary household to draw materials from accredited suppliers of building material and then construct their own house themselves. Funding for the appointment of professional service providers such as plumbers and electricians is included in the subsidy amount in order to ensure that the houses are constructed in accordance with approved norms and standards.

As mentioned earlier, housing development in the country is driven by the housing needs that exist in the various areas. Due to prolonged and the scale of rapid urbanisation in the country and especially the fact that urbanisation manifests itself in the formation of informal settlements and slum conditions, it should be appreciated that the bulk of the funding available for human settlement creation is channelled towards urban areas where the needs and housing backlogs are greatest.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1221

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 5 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr W M Madisha (Cope) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has examined the operation, lawfulness, compliance with objectives, targets to be achieved and financial management of the National Housing Finance Corporation; if not, why not; if so, what are the (a) relevant details and (b) outcomes thereof? NW1459E

REPLY

(a) The operations, lawfulness, compliance with objectives, targets to be achieved and the financial management of the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) are continuously examined by the department based on the planning and evaluation prescripts contained in the Framework for Strategic And Annual Performance Plans, the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999), hereinafter referred to as the PFMA and the Treasury Regulations.

In terms of the planning requirements, the NHFC is required to prepare and submit Strategic and Annual Performance Plans. The first draft Strategic Plan is due by August, a second draft Strategic Plan by November and a final Strategic Plan by January to the Executive Authority for approval. The Strategic Plan sets out the institution's policy priorities, programmes and project plans for a five year period within the scope of its available resources. The plan should cover a period of at least five years, ideally from the first planning cycle following an election.

The Annual Performance Plan covers the upcoming financial year and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, hereinafter referred to as the MTEF, period. The Annual Performance Plan sets out the performance indicators and targets for the entity in relation to its goals and objectives. The Annual Performance Plan includes a budget with financial projections for the first planning year as well as the following two planning years. An Annual Performance Plan must be submitted every year.

The in-year monitoring of the performance of the entity is prescribed in terms of the Treasury Regulations and the Framework for Strategic and Annual Performance Plans. Quarterly reports must be submitted by the public entities to the Department for the monitoring of the performance of the entity in terms of the approved plans.

In terms of the PFMA, public entities must prepare annual reports on the performance of the entity every year. The annual report contains the audited annual financial statements of the entities.

The NHFC is further registered with and regulated by the National Credit Regulator.

(b) The NHFC complied with the planning requirements by submitting a first draft, second draft and a final Annual Performance Plan for approval by the Executive Authority. The Strategic Plan is being prepared for the current five year electoral cycle.

The quarterly reports have been received and analysed by the department. The annual report has been prepared and the arrangements are being made for the tabling of the annual report in Parliament.

Overall, the annual performance of the NHFC for the 2013/14 financial year is considered to be fair when compared against the annual targets. The entity performed well in terms of the development impact that was achieved during the 2013/14 financial year. A total of 27,593 housing opportunities were delivered, benefiting 104,852 beneficiaries. It is estimated that a total of 9,249 job opportunities were created in the process. An amount of R40,000,000 was disbursed to women managed or owned companies.

The operating revenue for the 2013/14 financial year was below the budget projection by 6.58% due to the challenging market conditions. The operating expenditure was contained within the budget, achieving a positive variance of R17,220,000 or 11.8%.

I am very satisfied with the outcomes of the NHFC, it is one of our best performers. I am therefore amazed by the manner in which the question has been asked suggesting there might be impropriety. If the Honourable member has any information to share which could have led him to that conclusion, it would be welcomed.

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1196

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 29 AUGUST 2014

Ms L V James (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) Whether (a) she and (b) the Deputy Minister has each employed a ministerial special advisor; if so,

(2) (a) what is the name of the special advisor, (b) when was the advisor appointed, (c) what are the duties of the advisor, (d) at what post level was the appointment made, (e) what is the salary level of the advisor, (f) what is the duration of the employment contract entered into with the advisor and (g) why was it necessary to appoint the advisor? NW1434E

REPLY

(1)(a) Yes

(b) No

(2) Special advisers are appointed in terms of section 12A of the Public Service Act, 1996, as amended and in line with prescripts approved by Cabinet. The employment and conditions of service of the special advisers are confidential, as is the case with all public servants.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1221

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 5 SEPTEMBER 2014

Mr W M Madisha (Cope) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

REPLY

In terms of the PFMA, public entities must prepare annual reports on the performance of the entity every year. The annual report contains the audited annual financial statements of the entities.

The NHFC is further registered with and regulated by the National Credit Regulator.

The quarterly reports have been received and analysed by the department. The annual report has been prepared and the arrangements are being made for the tabling of the annual report in Parliament.

QUESTION NO.: 1121

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 29 AUGUST 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) With reference to her reply to question 235 on 1 August 2014, how many contractors were responsible for the poor workmanship that necessitated rectification in the (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c0 2013-14 financial years;

(2) for each specified year, how many of these contractors (a) were paid in full, (b) are still owed money and (c) were requested to fix the defects created by their poor workmanship;

(3) (a) what action has been taken against contractors who built houses of poor quality and (b) how many of these contractors have been blacklisted from doing business with the Government;

(4) (a) how many of these contractors have been awarded further contracts since the detection of poor workmanship that required rectification and (b) what are the full details of the (i) contractor, (ii) amount and (iii) number of houses required to be built of the subsequent contract? NW1359E

REPLY

The Rectification Programme is a comprehensive national housing programme implemented at provincial and municipal level to facilitate the improvement of municipal engineering services where inappropriate levels of services were delivered as well as the renovation or complete reconstruction of houses that are severely compromised structurally and pose a threat to the health and safety of the inhabitants.

The rectification programme has also been implemented to address issues of shoddy and poor workmanship by building contractors, in addition to rectifying and completing houses that were in the process of being built, and that were abandoned by contractors. Whereas the rectification work carried out was over the specified years from 2011-2012, the actual initial construction of the respective houses was undertaken over a number of years, possibly going back to the late 1990s. These houses were handed over, and the contractor had been paid in full. In provinces such as the Eastern Cape, the houses in many of the projects that are the subject of the rectification programme in the specified years, are houses that were built much earlier whilst the municipalities had assumed developer status through the Peoples Housing Process (PHP) and the Emerging Contractor Programmes. In such cases, the municipality as the developer is responsible for the procurement and the appointment of contractors and is in possession of all the information that relates to the appointment of contractors and payment for work completed.

For this reason, there have been cases where the defects have only been identified during focused assessments after a significant period of time has passed, and with little or no recourse to the original contractor because construction companies have been liquidated or are no longer in existence for other reasons.

The information obtained from nine provincial departments of human settlements is provided below:

1. Number of contractors responsible for poor workmanship that necessitated rectification in:

(a) 2011-12: 31 contractors based on available information

PROVINCE	NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS – POOR WORK
Eastern Cape	1 contractor named – year not specified – information is with municipalities
Free State	Does not have an audited report on contractors responsible for shoddy and poor workmanship
Gauteng	2 companies (across 2011-12 and 2012-13)
KwaZulu-Natal	20 listed over the three years specified
Limpopo	Not applicable
Mpumalanga	2
Northern Cape	2
North West	3
Western Cape	1

(b) 2012-13: 28 contractors based on available information

PROVINCE	NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS – POOR WORK
Eastern Cape	Not specified – information is with municipalities
Free State	Does not have an audited report on contractors responsible for shoddy and poor workmanship
Gauteng	2 companies (across 2011-12 and 2012-13)
KwaZulu-Natal	20 listed over the three years specified
Limpopo	1
Mpumalanga	1
Northern Cape	0
North West	1
Western Cape	3

PROVINCE	NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS – POOR WORK
Eastern Cape	Not specified – information is with municipalities
Free State	Does not have an audited report on contractors responsible for shoddy and poor workmanship
Gauteng	0
KwaZulu-Natal	20 listed over the three years specified
Limpopo	4
Mpumalanga	0
Northern Cape	0
North West	1
Western Cape	5

2. Number of contractors (a) paid in full (b) still owed money (c) requested to fix defects in:

2011-12:

PROVINCE	CONTRACTORS PAID IN FULL = 8	CONTRACTORS STILL OWED MONEY = 5	CONTRACTORS REQUESTED TO FIX DEFECTS = 1
Eastern Cape	1 (year not specified)	0	1 (year not specified)
Free State	0	Figure not available	None
Gauteng	2	0	0
KwaZulu-Natal	To be advised	None	None (Companies no longer in business)
Limpopo	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
Mpumalanga	2	0	Not applicable
Northern Cape	2	0	0
North West	0	5	None
Western Cape	1	Nil	Nil

2012-13:

PROVINCE	CONTRACTORS PAID IN FULL = 4	CONTRACTORS STILL OWED MONEY = 0	CONTRACTORS REQUESTED TO FIX DEFECTS = 1
Eastern Cape	Information not available	Information not available	Information not available
Free State	0	Figure not available	None
Gauteng	2	0	0
KwaZulu-Natal	To be advised	None	None (Companies no longer in business)
Limpopo	0	0 (Contracts were terminated)	1
Mpumalanga	1	0	Not applicable
Northern Cape	0	0	0
North West	None	None	None
Western Cape	1	Nil	Nil

2013-14:

PROVINCE	CONTRACTORS PAID IN FULL = 3	CONTRACTORS STILL OWED MONEY = 0	CONTRACTORS REQUESTED TO FIX DEFECTS = 3
Eastern Cape	Information not available	Information not available	Information not available
Free State	0	Figure not available	None
Gauteng	0	0	0
KwaZulu-Natal	To be advised	None	None (Companies no longer in business)
Limpopo	1	0 (Contracts were terminated)	3
Mpumalanga	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
Northern Cape	0	0	0
North West	None	None	None
Western Cape	2	Nil	Nil

(a) The action taken against contractors

PROVINCE	ACTION TAKEN AGAINST CONTRACTORS
Eastern Cape	1. Legal action initiated by municipality 2. Requested to rectify poor workmanship
Free State	1. Retention monies were not paid out 2. Contracts were terminated and other contractors appointed
Gauteng	1. Companies were stopped from doing work 2. Companies were blacklisted
KwaZulu-Natal	1. None against companies that no longer exist. 2. Legal proceedings instituted against companies that are in existence.
Limpopo	Contracts were terminated and some contractors were blacklisted
Mpumalanga	Blacklisted contractors assisted by the Mpumalanga Provincial Treasury
Northern Cape	None
North West	None
Western Cape	None

(b) Number of contractors that have been blacklisted by provinces: 7 blacklisted

PROVINCE	NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS BLACKLISTED
Eastern Cape	Information not available
Free State	None
Gauteng	2
KwaZulu-Natal	None
Limpopo	2
Mpumalanga	3
Northern Cape	None
North West	None
Western Cape	None

(a) Number of contractors awarded further contracts since detection of poor workmanship: 2 contractors, based on available information from the provincial department.

PROVINCE	CONTRACTORS AWARDED FURTHER CONTRACTS
Eastern Cape	Information not available - Developer status has been withdrawn from Municipalities – No further action could be taken against the Municipality as these projects were implemented through PHP programme by local Emerging contractors with the involvement of beneficiaries.
Free State	Not applicable
Gauteng	None
KwaZulu-Natal	None
Limpopo	None
Mpumalanga	None
Northern Cape	1
North West	None
Western Cape	1

(b) Full details of the subsequent contracts awarded:

No.	(i) Contractor	(ii) Contract Amount	(iii) No. of Houses to be built
1	Eastern Cape	Not applicable	Not applicable
2	Free State	Not applicable	Not applicable
3	Gauteng Province	Not applicable	Not applicable
4	Kwa-Zulu Natal	Not applicable	Not applicable
5	Limpopo	Not applicable	Not applicable
6	Mpumalanga	Not applicable	Not applicable
7	Northern Cape	R11, 945, 399.90	147
8	North West	Not applicable	Not applicable
9	Western Cape	Pelican Park (R220 m)	2 024
10	Western Cape	Caledon (R24m)	220
11	Western Cape	Botrivier (R22m)	226

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1121

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 29 AUGUST 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(2) for each specified year, how many of these contractors (a) were paid in full, (b) are still owed money and (c) were requested to fix the defects created by their poor workmanship;

(3) (a) what action has been taken against contractors who built houses of poor quality and (b) how many of these contractors have been blacklisted from doing business with the Government;

REPLY

The information requested by the Honourable member will take time to collate and will be submitted once this process has concluded.

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1028

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 22 AUGUST 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) How many subsidised RDP houses were envisaged to be built in each province in the (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and 2013-14 financial years;

(2) for each specified year and in each province, how many RDP houses (a) were completed and allocated to recipients, (b) were incomplete and (c) are unoccupied? NW1181E

REPLY

Due to the level of detail required, the relevant information has been requested from provincial departments of human settlements, and the information received to date is provided below:

It must also be noted that the targets of some provinces were adjusted as allowed for in the Provincial Business Plan framework, informed by changes in the implementation environment, including financial and non-financial delivery performance.

(1) Number of subsidised houses planned to be built in last three financial years:

PROVINCE	2011/12 FINANCIAL YEAR	2012/13 FINANCIAL YEAR	2013/14 FINANCIAL YEAR
Eastern Cape	15 419	16 726	18 900
Free State	7 326	14 015	9 655
Gauteng	34 294	26 348	28 023
KwaZulu-Natal	25 886	27 845	27 382
Limpopo	13 410	12 000	5 112
Mpumalanga	10 568	11 319	11 189
Northern Cape	3 078	2 704	3 542
North West	13 853	11 666	11 710
Western Cape	12 640	13 128	12 302

(2) Projects in the built environment, in particular construction projects, are usually multi-year projects. The development phases include pre-planning, services installation, foundation, wall plate, roof and finishes. The key service delivery indicator in the sector is houses/units completed. Therefore, Houses may have been incomplete at the end of the relevant year in relation to the envisaged target, but some houses have since been completed in subsequent years to date.

The number of subsidised houses completed and allocated, incomplete, and unoccupied in:

(a) 2011-12:

PROVINCE	COMPLETED AND ALLOCATED	INCOMPLETE	UNOCCUPIED
Eastern Cape	14 498	4 546	0
Free State	9 070	0	0
Gauteng	21 515	12 779	Information is not available
KwaZulu-Natal	22 112	1794	0
Limpopo	13 583	0	188
Mpumalanga	7 682	4 999	0
Northern Cape	3 683	660	0
North West	16 333	0	0
Western Cape	11 065	0	0

(a) 2012-13:

PROVINCE	COMPLETED AND ALLOCATED	INCOMPLETE	UNOCCUPIED
Eastern Cape	11 865	3 242	0
Free State	3 706	205	0
Gauteng	19 053	7 295	Information is not available
KwaZulu-Natal	25 940	3 021	0
Limpopo	12 009	0	92
Mpumalanga	7 571	4 605	0
Northern Cape	2 839	774	0
North West	14 331	0	0
Western Cape	13 128	0	0

(a) 2013-14:

PROVINCE	COMPLETED AND ALLOCATED	INCOMPLETE	UNOCCUPIED
Eastern Cape	12 187	7 161	0
Free State	6 920	338	0
Gauteng	20 319	7 704	Information is not available
KwaZulu-Natal	29 151	2 112	0
Limpopo	3 080	2 140	0
Mpumalanga	7 550	4 131	0
Northern Cape	2 464	1 312	0
North West	9 362	0	0
Western Cape	11 835	0	0

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO.: 1027

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 22 AUGUST 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) What amount was (a) budgeted and (b) spent by her department on educating recipients of RDP houses about their allocated property rights in the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 financial years;

(2) what amount was spent on workshops or education programmes run by (a) her department and (b) contracted service providers in each specified year? NW1180E

REPLY

(1) (a) The following amounts were budgeted by the Department of human settlements for educating recipients of RDP houses about their allocated property rights in the (i) 2011-12,(ii) 2012 -13 and (iii) 2013 -14 financial years:

2011 -12 budget was R 1,132,120.00

2012 -13 budget was R 2, 454, 738.00

2013 -14 budget was R 3,928,548.00

(b) The following amounts were spent by the Department of human settlements on educating recipients of RDP houses about their allocated property rights in the (i) 2011-12,(ii) 2012 -13 and (iii) 2013 -14 financial years:

2011-12 expenditure was R1, 132,108.68

2012-13 expenditure was R R2, 453,454.68

2013-14 expenditure was R3, 891,583.71

(2) (a) The following amount was spent on workshops run by by the Department of human settlements:

2011-12 expenditure on workshops was R799 995.13

2012 -13 expenditure on workshops was R 1,171,663.43

2013 -14 expenditure on workshops was R 2,574,467.71

(b) A service provider was contracted during the 2011 -12 year for an amount of R431,442.72, for the development of training material on homeownership

Reply received: December 2014

QUESTION NO.: 967

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 22 AUGUST 2014

Ms T Baker (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) How many evictions have taken place with regard to government-owned land and buildings in the 2013-14 financial year;

(2) what are the relevant details with regard to each eviction including (a) what entity obtained the eviction order, (b) how long each settlement was in existence, (c) how many (i) persons in total and (ii) children were affected, (d) how many were relocated and (e) what is the distance of the relocation from the original settlement;

(3) did the relocated persons receive any assistance; if so, (a) what assistance and (b) who rendered such assistance? NW1117E

REPLY

I would like to advise the Honourable Member that the provinces did not previously keep and maintain the record of the statistics requested. Now that the matter has arisen, there is value in starting to keep a record of all evictions and have them categorized properly. This will assist government and all stakeholders in better understanding the circumstances surrounding those evictions. In this regard, I will raise this matter with my colleagues at the MINMEC for their consideration.

I must indicate that I take a very dim view of evictions. I believe that with the kind of history that we have in our country, we can find better ways of dealing with the challenges of land availability and the settlement of communities.

An eviction is invasive. It brings lot of suffering to the individuals and the community affected. As the recent eviction of the informal settlement community of Nomzamo ( LWANDLE) showed us, a humanitarian crisis often follows any eviction. As government, at all levels, we are called upon to find accommodation and food. We are called upon to assist individuals to explain to employers why they cannot come to work or why children cannot go to school. We are called upon to provide health services for the sick, provide care for the elderly and provide security for the community and their remaining belongings. In the simplest of terms, an eviction process takes away the dignity of our people. These are the same people who in the occupation of land not belonging to them and the services that they need, are already vulnerable and because of their circumstances, their dignity impaired. With an eviction, they are being punished for being poor. This cannot be allowed to continue. We have learnt our lessons.

Government is continuing to work hard to find solutions. As the Honourable Member may be aware, I am in consultations with the MECs and Executive Mayors to identify catalytic projects in every province through which we can deliver bigger integrated human settlements. In the Western Cape we already have the N2 Gateway whose completion remains outstanding. As we do this, my Department will lead the efforts to educate our communities and advise against illegal occupation of land. This we do not encourage. At the same time, those owners of undeveloped land must take the risk of a possible unlawful land occupation if they do not make an effort to secure their land.

In essence, we all have a responsibility Honourable member, to look after all of our communities and to integrate them so that we achieve the social cohesion that we often talk about. I am hopeful that you will yourself do your part. I look forward to receiving your suggestions that I can consider and possibly include in our work.

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO.: 966

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 22 AUGUST 2014

Ms T Gqada (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) With reference to the Urban Settlements Development Grant (USDG), what was the total amount (a) budgeted and (b) spent on municipalities in the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 financial years;

(2) for each specified financial year, what were the relevant projects funded and how much was (a) budgeted and (b) spent on each;

(3) was the spending made according to the USDG requirements; if not, what were the deviations;

(4) (a) what process was followed to accredit the selected municipalities for funding and (b) what was her role in this process? NW1116E

REPLY

(1) The table below indicates the total amount budgeted and spent by the metropolitan municipalities for 2011/12, 12/13 and 2013/14 financial years.

(2) Annexure A 2011/12 financial year, Annexure B 2012/13 financial year and Annexure C 2013/14 financial year is for the project list for each municipality. See the links for Annexures:

www.pmg.org.za/files/rnw966annexure_a.pdf

www.pmg.org.za/files/rnw966annexure_b.pdf

www.pmg.org.za/files/rnw966annexure_c.pdf

(3) Spending was made in line with the USDG DORA framework and the USDG performance matrix indicators; which define the USDG requirements.

(4) (a) The Framework provides for phased accreditation process to ensure that the municipalities are properly assessed before accreditation applications are considered and to ensure that the delegation of the functions is aligned with the particular capacity and capabilities of the relevant applying municipality.

The Department has launched a structured national process for the assessment of all the targeted and prioritised municipalities to assist the various Members of the Executive Councils responsible for Human Settlements of the nine Provincial Governments with the accreditation process.

The Department has designed an assessment tool which is applied during the assessment process. The assessment tool provides a transparent and uniform basis for the MEC's to assess and make decisions on applications received from municipalities across all the levels of accreditation. The qualifying criterion is contained in the approved National Accreditation and Assignment Framework.

The assessment tool primarily focuses on the evaluation and measurement of the readiness of the applying municipality to assume the new decision-making functions and to identify possible capacity and systems shortcomings that need to be addressed before the application can be considered.

The assessment tool focuses on five key areas of local government performance associated with the delivery of sustainable and integrated human settlements, namely:

- Intergovernmental coordination, planning and alignment;

- Municipal good governance;

- Subsidy and beneficiary management;

- Planning, project and programme management; and

- Financial Management.

The Assessment Tool is applied to assess the municipality holistically and does not only focus on the housing or human settlements components of the municipality. The reason for this approach is that the human settlements functions is cross cutting in nature and engages the full spectrum of the municipal administrative systems related to planning, technical services, project management, financial management, legal compliance, quality control, supply chain management, monitoring and evaluations etc.

(b) Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1997 (Act no. 107 of 1997) provides that a municipality may apply to the relevant Member of an Executive Council (MEC) responsible for Human Settlements of a Provincial Government for accreditation to administer one or more of the National Housing Programmes. If an application is approved, the municipality will assume the decision-making authority regarding project applications, the funding thereof as well as subsidy applications.

To give effect to the provisions of the Housing Act, the Minister of Housing, after consultation with every MEC and SALGA, approved an official Accreditation Framework in 2005, which was later reviewed in 2012. The Minister (previous Minister) established the independent Capacity, Compliance and Assessment Panel (CCAP) to conduct assessments on behalf of the MECs. Once the assessments reports have been completed by the Panel, the reports were then presented to the various affected MECs by Minister for the confirmation of the findings of the report to effect accreditation.

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO.: 935

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 22 AUGUST 2014

Ms D Carter (Cope) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether the Government intends to introduce any new measures to help first-time home buyers in subsidised areas to acquire plots with pre-approved plans and bills of quantity to allow for the expeditious and cost-effective building of their homes; if not, why not; if so, what are the details? NW1028E

REPLY

The National Housing Programme for Individual Subsidies already caters for the needs of qualifying first time home buyers who wish to purchase vacant serviced stands and to negotiate house building contracts with registered home building contractors of their choice.

In addition, the Department has recently embarked upon a new house design and costing exercise to ensure that the National Housing Programme products comply with the latest National Building Regulations. Through this initiative, various house plans and Bills of Quantities for the relevant designs were developed. The house designs are based on the most cost effective layout and material use. Any qualifying first time home buyer may therefore approach a provincial human settlements department and/or a municipality and request copies of the selected plans and the Bills of Quantities if he or she would like to make use of such house plans and specifications.

In cases where beneficiaries are able to successfully apply for mortgage loans, and will thus qualify for Financed Linked Individual Housing Subsidies, the Department has also designed a higher cost dwelling for this market segment and such plans and specifications are available from the Department on request.

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO.: 864

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1 AUGUST 2014

Mr M H Redelinghuys (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) (a) How many investigations were conducted for (i) overbilling and (ii) overcharging for goods and services rendered by (aa) external contractors and (bb) service providers in the past five financial years and (b) how many of these investigations were conducted (i) internally, (ii) by the Office of the Public Protector, (iii) by the SA Police Service or (iv) by the Special Investigating Unit;

(2) (a) how many of these investigations were conducted by external private sector entities and (b) what are the names of these entities;

(3) (a) what total amount of money was lost by her department due to (i) overbilling or (ii) overcharging and (b) what was the (i) outcome of each investigation and (ii) breakdown of monies recovered in each specified financial year respectively? NW953E

REPLY

(1) Fifty-nine (59) suspect housing contracts/projects were investigated since September 2009. These investigations were conducted by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in terms of the Presidential Proclamation R.7 of 2007, which was published in the Government Gazette, Notice 29831 of 2007 on 25 April 2007. This Proclamation was extended by Presidential Proclamations R.35 of 2010 and R.15 of 2012.

This Proclamation granted the Special Investigating Unit a mandate to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption in the development and delivery of low-income houses in South Africa. The scope of those investigations included, but was not limited to, payments for incomplete projects; fraudulent claims; over-billing; poor workmanship; etc.

The Department did not make arrangements nor does it have an agreement with the Office of the Public Protector and/ or the South African Police Service to investigate suspect housing contracts.

(2) All suspect housing contracts/ projects were investigated by the SIU in terms of the Presidential Proclamation R.7 of 2007, as extended.

(3) a) The value of those contracts (59) was estimated at approximately R20 billion.

b) (i) The high level findings of those investigations were:

(aa) Non-compliance with the National Housing Act, 107 of 1997, and the National Housing Code;

(bb) Non-compliance with the Public Finance Management Act, 1 of 1999;

(cc) Non-compliance with the Value Added Tax Act, 89 of 1991;

(dd) Fruitless and wasteful expenditure;

(ee) Irregular and unauthorised expenditure

(ff) Gross misconduct on the part of implicated government employees

(ii) Proceedings to refer criminal charges and recover monies lost (civil cases) were instituted and/ or handled by the SIU.

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO.: 863

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1 AUGUST 2014

Mr M H Redelinghuys (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) (a) How many decisions or actions of the National Home Builders Registration Council, its staff or its agents were referred to the Public Protector in terms of section 22(4)(i) of the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act, Act 95 of 1998, in the past five financial years and (b) in each case, (i) what was the outcome of each such review in each financial year and (ii) how long did each review take to complete;

(2) whether her department (a) has conducted a study on the feasibility, desirability or impact of the provision in the specified section and/or (b) intends on reviewing such provision; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant (i) details and (ii) time frames;

(3) whether her department has (a) received any formal submissions from the Office of the Public Protector on the feasibility, desirability or impact of the specified provision and/or (b) had any engagement with the Office of the Public Protector in this regard? NW952E

REPLY

The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is mandated by the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act (Act No. 95 of 1998) to protect the interests of housing consumers and to ensure compliance to regulated building industry standards. In the cases mentioned below, the NHBRC decisions were referred to the Public Protector.

(1)(a) Four decisions of the NHBRC were referred to the Public Protector.

(b)(i) Decision of the NHBRC on Mr Casper Van Rensburg's complaint: complaint by the housing consumer for structural defects without following the legislative process in terms of the Housing Consumers Measures Act, Act 95 of 1998("Act) and the NHBRC in its written response to the Public Protector indicated that the housing consumer did not report the defects to the home builder within 5 years from the date of occupation as required by section 13(2)(b)(i) of the Act.

(b)(ii) The NHBRC received a complaint from the Public Protector on 29 February 2012 and responded to the Public Protector on 25 May 2012.

(b)(i) Decision of the NHBRC relating to Mr I McLachlan's owner building application in terms of section 29 read with section 10A of the Act: complaint against the decision of the NHBRC's Registration Committee to decline his owner builder application in terms of section 29 read with section 10A of the Act and the NHBRC in its written response to the Public Protector indicated that the complainant's owner builder application was declined due to the fact that he was not building the home for occupation by himself which is a requirement in terms of the Act. Only a bona fide owner could be granted owner builder exemption as defined in section 1 of the Act before the 2008 amendments and the owner Builder policy applicable at that time.

(b)(ii) The NHBRC received a complaint from the Public Protector on 13 April 2013 and responded to the Public Protector on 05 August 2013.

(b)(i) Decision of the NHBRC to decline Ms & M Developers owner builder application in terms of section 29 read with section 10A of the Act: Complaint against the decision of the NHBRC to decline his owner builder application in terms of section 29 read with section 10A of the Act and the NHBRC in its written response indicated that the application was rejected due to the fact that he had already completed construction of the home. In terms of Owner Builder policy applicable at that time, owner Builders had to apply before commencing with construction.

(b)(ii) The NHBRC received a complaint from the Public Protector on 20 June 2013 and responded to the Public Protector on 09 July 2013.

(b)(i) Decision of the NHBRC relating to Mrs L Erasmus claim for housing defects: complaint by the housing consumer for the payment of monies allegedly expended for rectification of certain defects in her home. The said monies were awarded in her favour by the Arbitrator against the home builder who constructed her home. Therefore, the housing consumer was resorting to the NHBRC as the latter home builder had migrated to another country without honouring the Arbitration Award. The NHBRC in its written response to the Public Protector indicated that the NHBRC conducted an inspection of the home and defects were found to be non-structural. In terms of Section 17(1) of the Act, only structural defects occurring and reported to the home builder within five years from the date of occupation are covered.

(b)(ii) The NHBRC received a complaint from the Public Protector on 08 April 2013 and responded to the Public Protector on 09 December 2013.

(2)(a) Yes.

(b) A detailed review of the Act and the Regulatory Impact Assessment were undertaken.

(b)(i) It resulted in the decision to repeal the Act, which culminated in the "Housing Consumer Protection Bill". The latter is currently undergoing the legislative process.

(b)(ii) The legislation referred to above is being processed and will be tabled in Parliament as soon as it is approved by the Cabinet.

(3)(a) No formal submissions received from the Office of the Public Protector on the feasibility, desirability or impact of the specified provision.

(b) There was no engagement with the Office of the Protector in this regard.

Reply received: September 2014

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 828

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25 JULY 2014

Mr K P Sithole (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to build proper housing structures in Kennedy Road informal settlement in Durban; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW915E

REPLY

The Department has plans to build proper housing structures in Kennedy Road informal settlement in Durban.

The municipality is advanced with the planning process and approvals from statutory bodies are awaited. Environmental constraints as the informal settlement is close to landfill sites, grave site and worship sites. The total yield on the site that is available for development is 321 units.

The house construction will proceed once approval is obtained from the statutory bodies, including the pending retraction of the instruction to stop construction by AMAFA (The Heritage Department in KwaZulu Natal). The municipality has fulfilled AMAFA requirements and notice was given to AMAFA that work will commence on 1 August 2014 at Dodoma Avenue (Kennedy Road).

The remaining residents of the settlement will be relocated to other housing projects in the surrounding areas subject to negotiations with them.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 827

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25 JULY 2014

Mr K P Sithole (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to build proper housing structures in Kwa-Kawosi informal settlement in Germiston; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW914E

REPLY

According to the municipality there is no informal settlement called Kwa-Kawosi. However, a settlement called Makause exists and the Department has plans to build proper housing structures in Makause informal settlement in Germiston.

The Makause Informal settlement is located near Primrose in Germiston on undermined land. The land is currently being subjected to pre-planning that includes Geotechnical study and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The undermining studies will be the final indicator on how much, if any, of the settlement can be upgraded. The implementation of the proposed development is compounded by the fact that the settlement is very dense and there is a shortage of developable land in the area for relocation and phasing purposes.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 826

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25 JULY 2014

Mr A M Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to build proper housing structures in George Goch informal settlement; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW913E

REPLY

Dear Honourable member of the IFP, South Africa belongs to all who live in it and we as government are responsible for all our citizens. Please allow us to deal with the entire country and not only the hostel areas. I know you are passionate about these areas and wish you would also be as passionate about the entire country. Come along with us and build South Africa.

Indeed, the government of the people has plans to build proper housing structures in George Goch informal settlement.The George Goch informal Settlement is part of the greater George Goch Hostel. The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements plans to redevelop the hostel into family units and also accommodate the residents of the informal settlement. The feasibility study has been concluded and forwarded to the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan municipality to be implemented as part of the accreditation programme.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 825

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25 JULY 2014

Mr A M Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to build proper housing structures in Kliptown informal settlement; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW912E

REPLY

The Department has plans to build proper housing structures in Kliptown informal settlement.

The City of Johannesburg is currently building 111 units at Klipspruit Extension 6 and 555 units at Klipspruit Extension 11 that will cater for two informal settlements at Kliptown. The City will advertise two tenders, namely for Klipspruit Extension 7 - 2000 units and for Sector 2 - 1500 new units. Kliptown has a total of fourteen informal settlements namely : Fred Clarke, Charter Square, Chris Hani , Market, Angola, Firstgate, Geelkamers, Johnson Stop, Mandela square, Ngubane, Racecource, Tamatievlei, Vaalkamers, Winnie Mandela Camp. The two projects above will cater for residents in these fourteen informal settlements.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 824

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25 JULY 2014

Mr A M Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to build proper housing structures in Denver informal settlement; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW911E

REPLY

The Department has plans to build proper housing structures in Denver informal settlement.

The Denver informal settlement is part of the greater Denver Hostel. The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements plans to redevelop the hostel into family units and also accommodate the residents of the informal settlement. The feasibility study has been concluded and forwarded to the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality to be implemented as part of the accreditation programme.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 819

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25 JULY 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) Whether (a) she, (b) the Deputy Minister, (c) the Director-General or (d) any of her staff (i) attended, (ii) accepted an invitation and/or (iii) received tickets to the 2014 Soccer World Cup in their official capacity; if so, what are the relevant details including the (aa)(aaa) names and (bbb) positions of those who attended and (bb) breakdown of the amounts spent by her department on (aaa) travel, (bbb) accommodation, (ccc) entertainment and (ddd) any further specified expenses;

(2) (a) what is the breakdown of the amount spent by her department on any persons accompanying (i) her, (ii) the Deputy Minister, (iii) the Director-General or (iv) any of her staff to attend the 2014 Soccer World Cup including (aa) travel, (bb) accommodation, (cc) entertainment and (dd) any further costs and (b) in each case, what is the (i) relationship and (ii) reason for accompanying the relevant person? NW906E

REPLY

(1) No.

(2) Not applicable.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 770

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25 JULY 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(a) How many (i) judgments and (ii) court orders were made against her department in the (aa) 2010-11, (bb) 2011-12, (cc) 2012-13 and (dd) 2013-14 financial years and (b) in each case, (i) how many of these (aa) were implemented and (bb) await implementation by her department and (ii) what was the nature of the (aa) judgment and/or (bb) court order? NW857E

REPLY

None

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 683

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18 JULY 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(a) How many applications for fidelity fund certificates did the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) receive in the period 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 and (b) how many of the specified applications were (i) granted in full, (ii) provisionally granted and (iii) rejected? NW767E

REPLY

(a) 6, 696 new applications were received during the period referred to in the question.

(b) (i) Of the above, 5, 338 application were granted in full.

(ii) No application were provisionally granted.

(iii) 1,358 applications were under query due to audit non-compliance related matters.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 682

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18 JULY 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

How many (a) intermediaries does the Rural Housing Loan Fund (RHLF) utilise to give out loans in each province, (b) of these are registered with the Financial Services Board and (c) of them are banks? NW766E

REPLY

(a) The Rural Housing Loan Fund (RHLF) has a sixteen intermediaries. Of these, eleven are commercial and five community based intermediaries.

(b) None of the above intermediaries are required to be registered with the Financial Services Board.

The Committee will, no doubt, have the opportunity to call the entities of Human Settlements and they will they will be more than happy to share their operational details with members.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 681

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18 JULY 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

How many (a) subsidised houses were (i) completed and (ii) handed over to beneficiaries in the 2013-14 financial year and (b) of these beneficiaries were handed their title deeds? NW765E

REPLY

(a) Subsidised houses that were completed in the 2013 -14 financial year:

(i) 105 936 subsidised houses/units were completed across the various national programs with budgets from the Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG). This figure excludes 48 893 Serviced sites that were completed during the period.

(ii) 84 459 houses/units were handed over to the beneficiaries or qualifying occupants of state subsidised rental units by Provincial Departments of Human Settlements or their respective municipalities..

Of the 105 936 houses/units completed nationally, 4 146 housing units were in respect of social, rental housing and community residential (hostel), and therefore not to be handed over as ownership units to the occupants, leaving 101 790 houses intended to be handed over for ownership.

(b) Of the 101 790 houses that could be handed over for ownership to the approved beneficiaries, a total of 25 107 were in respect of the rural housing programme, where the land is usually tribal or trust land and title deeds are not processed. This implies that title deeds could be registered in respect of about 76 683 subsidised houses. Of this number, Provincial Departments of Human Settlements have reported that 29 863 of the beneficiaries have been handed their title deeds.

Honourable member, we have already acknowledged that there is a challenge with the issuance of titles deeds. The title deeds project is amongst the priority areas we have set ourselves to attend to within the first 100 days in this portfolio.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 630

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18 JULY 2014

Ms T Gqada (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) How many (a) international and (b) domestic hotel bookings were made by (i) her, (ii) her predecessors and (iii) departmental officials attending (aa) workshops, (bb) seminars, (cc) oversight visits or (dd) any other relevant meetings of the relevant portfolio committee from 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

(2) in respect of each specified booking, what was the (a) date, (b) name of the hotel, (c) number of delegates, (d) cost of the hotel booking for each delegate and (e) the nature of the relevant portfolio business dealt with? NW713E

REPLY

(1) & (2) The information requested by the Honourable member will form part of the 2013/14 Annual Report which is yet to be tabled in Parliament.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 576

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18 JULY 2014

Mr R W T Chance (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

What provision has been made to resettle approximately 300 residents of the Soweto Homemakers Community in Jabavu, now that the City of Johannesburg has awarded a tender for the redevelopment of the land currently occupied by these residents? NW659E

REPLY

The City of Johannesburg, in collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements intends to resettle the Soweto Homemakers community to the Jabavu Stadium Precinct. A request for proposals will be invited for the development of this precinct in the near future.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 538

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18 JULY 2014

Ms D Carter (Cope) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department is giving consideration to (a) developing stable communities with desirable lifestyle features, (b) ensuring a healthy environment for children to play and grow up in, (c) enhancing security, (d) providing for adequate garden space for growing food and (e) ensuring that every house comes with a built-in access to the internet as in New York, USA; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details, in each case? NW620E

REPLY

Honourable member, let me take this opportunity to acquaint you with the policy adopted in 2004 referred to as the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Sustainable Human Settlements. You will find all concerns answered there. Please find attached a copy of the policy referred to.

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO.: 501

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11 JULY 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) How many evictions were carried out in the cities of (a) Johannesburg, (b) Durban, (c) Pretoria and (d) Port Elizabeth by (i) national government, (ii) provincial government, (iii) government entities, (iv) municipalities and/or (v) the relevant city (aa) in the (aaa) 2011, (bbb) 2012 and (ccc) 2013 calendar years and (bb) since 1 January 2014;

(2) in respect of each specified case, how many persons were evicted;

(3) in respect of each specified case, whether she is going to establish a committee of enquiry into these evictions; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW580E

REPLY

The information made available to us is as follows:

(1) (a) 2 evictions took place in the city of Johannesburg

(b) Information is being verified

(d) 3 evictions took place in Port Elizabeth

(aa) Financial year 2011

Johannesburg

No evictions took place in this financial year by National Government, Provincial Government, Government entities, Municipalities and by relevant city

Pretoria

No evictions took place in this financial year by National Government, Provincial Government, Government entities, Municipalities and by relevant city

Port Elizabeth

No evictions took place in this financial year by National Government, Provincial Government, Government entities, Municipalities and by relevant city

(bb) Financial year 2012

Johannesburg

By city – 1

None by National Government, Provincial Government, Municipalities, Government entities and by relevant city.

Pretoria

None by National Government, Provincial Government, Municipalities, Government entities and by relevant city.

Port Elizabeth

By the Municipality - 3

(cc) Financial year 2013

Johannesburg

By Provincial Government – 1

Pretoria

By Provincial Government – 1

Port Elizabeth

None

(dd) Financial year 2014

Johannesburg

None by National Government, Provincial Government, Government entities, Municipalities and by relevant city

Pretoria

None by National Government, Provincial Government, Government entities, Municipalities and by relevant city

Port Elizabeth

None by National Government, Provincial Government, Government entities, Municipalities and by relevant city.

(2) 6,961 from Johannesburg, 5,522 from Pretoria and 3 from Port Elizabeth.

(3) It is not the intention of government to set up enquiries for each eviction case. But this government would certainly concern itself with illegal evictions and the manner in which these are carried out. We are resolute in our intention to strengthen the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998 to effectively deal with both land invasions as well as illegal evictions.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 487

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11 JULY 2014

Mr C H H Hunsinger (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

With reference to the visit of the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Ms Z A Kota-Fredericks to Chatsworth in Swartland Municipality during April 2013, where commitments were made to transfer a portion of land adjacent to Chatsworth to the Swartland Municipality within 2 months, (a) why has this transfer not taken place and (b) when will this transfer be undertaken? NW566E

REPLY

(a) The property was transferred to the Housing Development Agency (HDA) on 4 June 2014. The HDA is one of the Human Settlements entities and it was established to identify, acquire and manage the release of land and development of land for human settlement developments;

(b) The property will be released to the Swartland Municipality as soon as an agreement with the release conditions has been concluded between the two relevant parties. It is anticipated that the release process will be completed before the end of the current calendar year.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 466

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11 JULY 2014

Mr W M Madisha (Cope) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to ensure an end to the (a) seasonal flooding of homes and (b) spreading of fires that annually raze many houses in areas where informal housing exist; if not, why is her department not taking any steps to remedy the situation; if so, (i) what are the relevant details of the plans and (ii) when will the plans be instituted? NW545E

REPLY

Firstly, by definition informal settlements are in their nature not planned for, they are a result of an illegal action and not designed by government. The member would be aware that in the case of a planned development, we undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the area to ascertain the suitability of area for development. The EIA is meant to, amongst others, ensure that we are not building below the flood line.

Secondly, the Department is not in a position to end seasonal flooding of homes or raging fires, it has no control over these elements. However, being the caring government we are, we do provide relief and emergency assistance to families who find themselves confronted by these unfortunate circumstances. In this regard, Government has instituted a National Housing Programme through which it endeavors to address the needs of affected households.

This Programme is instituted in terms of section 3(4)(g) of the Housing Act 1997 and is referred to as the National Housing Programme for Housing Assistance in Emergency Housing Circumstances. Its objective is to provide for temporary relief to people in urban and rural areas who find themselves in emergencies.

Assistance takes the form of grants to municipalities to enable them to respond rapidly to emergencies by means of the provision of land, municipal engineering services and shelter. It includes the possible relocation and resettlement of people on a voluntary and co-operative basis in appropriate cases.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 462

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11 JULY 2014

Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has ever engaged the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to design accommodation and recommend materials that would allow for quality houses with good insulation properties and easy scalability to be erected by municipalities and individuals quickly and affordably to meet the current and future housing demands of those living in informal structures timeously; if not, what are the reasons for the CSIR not being actively engaged in this regard considering that this is a known area of its expertise; if so, what are the relevant details? NW541E

REPLY

Yes, the Council for Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) were employed to undertake a feasibility study into the development of a mechanism to support alternative technological and indigenous knowledge in rural areas to further enhance the options available for the creation of environmentally sustainable settlements. The report on findings of the project included recommendations ranging from the promotion of and awareness raising strategies on the advantages of alternative technology and materials to strengthen the national housing policy.

In an attempt to encourage the application of alternative technologies, the Department in collaboration with the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) has established an innovation hub in Gauteng and named it the Eric Molobi Innovation Hub. The Hub was launched in 2007 and has facilitated the establishment of an alternative technology, where owners and inventors of alternative building technologies have constructed houses and demonstrated their products. This show village is still open to the public and provides an opportunity to the public to assess the products and make informed decision on their housing investments.

In addition to the establishment of the Innovation Hub, the Department also facilitated a two day exhibition on alternative building technologies in September 2010 in Sandton where product owners and inventors were once again provided with an opportunity to showcase their products. This event was also used as a marketing platform for alternative building solutions.

Government has also adjusted the Ministerial Norms and Standards in respect of Permanent Residential Dwellings to accommodate the use of alternative building technologies that have been certified by the Agrément Board of South Africa. The NHBRC has also accepted such alternative building solution if such has been certified as indicated.

Provincial Governments and municipalities have been requested to adjust their procurement strategies to ensure that alternative building technology contractors are awarded as equitable opportunity to compete for housing construction contracts.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 456

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11 JULY 2014

Mr K P Sithole (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans of revamping Mazibuko Hostel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW460E

REPLY

Kwa-Mazibuko Hostel is situated in the Gauteng Province and falls within the jurisdiction of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

During the assessment of the current buildings it was established that these dwellings were not architecturally safe for human habitation and as a result a decision was taken to demolish these structures. The Kwa-Mazibuko Hostel will be converted to family units by utilising the demolition and complete redevelopment option of the Community Residential Units Programme. The building and site development plans as well as the township establishment process is still in progress.

The project is faced with two challenges:

(a) Illegal structures (market stalls converted into dwellings) have been set up where construction is scheduled to commence; and

(b) Kwa-Mazibuko Hostel is termed a "grey hostel" which in this specific case, implies that the buildings are government owned but part of the land is privately owned. As a result that piece of land will have to be purchased by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality before Community Residential Units funding can be accessed.

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is currently looking into the best option to relocate the residents in the illegal structures that has mushroomed on the land to be developed so as to enable construction to commence. Their Real Estate Division is also currently negotiating the purchase and acquisition of land which is privately owned. This will result in access points to the new units and a direct linkage to the eastern of part of the hostel, thereby integrating it to the township.

As soon as the challenges have been resolved, Phase one of the project will begin. It is envisaged that residents will remain in the existing hostel which is positioned on the periphery of the building site until construction is completed, thereafter qualifying beneficiaries will be allocated to these new units. Only upon completion of this phase will the old hostel blocks then at this juncture, be demolished and complete redevelopment, which is phase two of the project ensue.

The entire project is going to comprise of bachelor, one, two and three bedroomed family units. The exact number of units to be constructed is currently unavailable as the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is going to utilise the "shift and develop" method which will be informed by the township establishment process which currently is not finalised.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 388

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 4 JULY 2014

Mr K P Sithole (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans of revamping Mamelodi Hostel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW459E

REPLY

Mamelodi Hostel is situated in the Gauteng Province and falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.

The Mamelodi hostel has been redeveloped by utilising the newbuild infill option of the Community Residential Units option. The project commenced in the 2009/2010 financial year and was completed during the 2011/2012 financial year. A total of one hundred and fourty eight units (148) have been constructed. The typology is made up of one and two bedroomed units.

The project has been completed and the Gauteng Provincial Department of Human Settlements has handed over the units to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality for allocation to qualifying beneficiaries.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 387

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 4 JULY 2014

Mr A M Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans of revamping Kwesine Hostel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW458E

REPLY

Kwesine Hostel is situated in the Gauteng Province and falls within the jurisdiction of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

During the previous dispensation, approximately fifty percent (50%) of the hostel blocks were renovated using the old Hostels Redevelopment Programme. The remaining fifty percent (50%) were deemed as not being suitable for human habitation and at that time a decision was taken to demolish these blocks. Whilst the municipality was prepping for the process of demolition, these blocks were invaded.

There are currently no detailed plans for the redevelopment of Kwesine Hostel but it does however form part of the comprehensive precinct development plan that is presently being drafted by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 386

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 4 JULY 2014

Mr A M Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans of revamping KwaMashu Hostel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW456E

REPLY

The process for the upgrading of the existing KwaMashu Hostel commenced during the 2013/2014 financial year and is currently underway.

KwaMashu Hostel is situated in the KwaZulu Natal province and falls within the jurisdiction of the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality. This hostel is currently being redeveloped by utilising the newbuild infill option of the Community Residential Units Programme. There are two wards that are earmarked for this project i.e.: Ward 39 and Ward 40. A total of ninety six (96) units will be constructed between these two Wards, with each unit comprising of three (3) bedrooms, an open plan kitchen with a living room and a bathroom with a shower.

It is anticipated that completion will be finalised during the 2015/2016 financial year. The units will then be handed over to the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality for handing over to qualifying beneficiaries.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 385

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 4 JULY 2014

Mr M Hlengwa (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to revamp Jeppe Hostel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW455E

REPLY

The process for the upgrading of the existing Jeppe Hostel commenced during the 2012/2013 financial year. The planning component of this project has been completed.

Jeppe Hostel is situated in the Gauteng Province and falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. According to the plan, this hostel was to be redeveloped by utilising the conversion option of the Community Residential Units Programme.

Currently the old hostel blocks consist of six hundred and fourty two (642) units. The challenge that the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is faced with is that of relocating existing residents. Residents are adamant to vacate these units as there is a general feeling of distress that they will not be accommodated once these blocks have been converted.

As soon as the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality secures a nearby alternative site for the relocation of residents and finalises the process of community facilitation, implementation of the project will commence.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 384

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 4 JULY 2014

Mr M Hlengwa (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to revamp the Glebeland Hostel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW454E

REPLY

The process for the upgrading of the existing Glebeland Hostel commenced during the 2012/2013 financial year and is currently underway with completion anticipated during the 2014/2015 financial year.

Glebelands Hostel is situated in the Umlazi Township and falls within the jurisdiction of the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality and has been redeveloped by utilising the greenfields development option of the Community Residential Units Programme. To date thirty two (32) units have been constructed, each unit comprises of two (2) bedrooms, an open plan kitchen and living room and a bathroom with a shower.

This development will progress to completion while residents still occupy the old hostel blocks which are situated on the periphery of the construction site. It is envisaged that once the residents take occupation of the new units, the old hostel blocks will be renovated by utilising the refurbishment option of the Community Residential Units Programme.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 383

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 4 JULY 2014

Mr M Hlengwa (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to revamp the Denver Hostel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW453E

REPLY

Denver Hostel is situated in the Gauteng Province and falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

During the planning stage of this project it was discovered that the land on which the hostel is situated contained a level of radiation due to historical mining activities. As a result, a nearby piece of land was identified to reposition this project but unfortunately this land houses residents of the Mangolongolo informal settlement township. These residents are unwilling to move off this piece of land and consequently this project has been stalled.

The Gauteng Provincial Department of Human Settlements has referred this matter to the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality for intervention. There are two challenges faced by the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and these are:

(i) To secure a nearby alternative site for the relocation of residents of Mangolongolo Township; and

(ii) Decide on whether the existing land can be treated for the level of radiation to be reduced thereby making it acceptable for occupancy.

Once the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has resolved these issues the project planning phase will be finalised and implementation can commence.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 382

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 4 JULY 2014

Mr K P Sithole (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to revamp the Benoni Hostel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW452E

REPLY

The Benoni Hostel (Wattville Hostel) is situated in the Gauteng Province and falls within the jurisdiction

of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

The Wattville Hostel blocks were deemed not fit for human occupancy after a structural engineering

investigation was conducted and as a result a decision was taken to demolish these structures. The

complete redevelopment option of the Community Residential Units Programme will be utilised to

construct family units as a phased in approach.

The construction process of phase one will commence in the next financial year 2015/16, as the current

budget can only cater for sewer, water, electricity and roads to a minimum extent. During the process of

demolition and construction, existing residents will be housed in (TRU's) temporary residential units

which will have basic services such as water, electricity and adequate sanitation.

A total of one hundred and fourteen (114) units (1, 2 and 3 bedrooms) will be completed and ready for

allocation to qualifying beneficiaries at the end of phase one of the project (2015/2016 financial year).

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 381

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 4 JULY 2014

Mr K P Sithole (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(a) What plans are in place for the revamp of Thokoza Hostel, (b) how much will it cost and (c) when will this plan be implemented? NW450E

REPLY

The Thokoza Hostel is situated in the Gauteng Province and falls within the jurisdiction of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. The hostel comprises of fourty one (41) hostel blocks (dormitory type) which were deemed not suitable for human habitation. A decision was then taken that these blocks will be demolished and new buildings will be constructed. As a result of this, the Department appointed the service provider to conduct planning studies in Thokoza Hostel and detailed

planning and design studies have subsequently been completed and the service provider is in the process of finalising the business plan.

The hostel will be redeveloped by utilising the complete redevelopment option of the Community Residential Units Program. Three storey buildings containing approximately two thousand six hundred and twenty one (2 621) family units will be constructed in the total development. This project will consist of seven phases and will be implemented in a phased approach over a period of approximately 7 years depending on the availability of funding in subsequent years.

The proposed project plans of the project were communicated to the Thokoza Hostel leadership and community through community facilitation structures and a process of setting up a Project Steering Committee is currently underway.

It is envisaged that the existing residents will be relocated to the Temporary Residential Units (TRU's) to make way for the demolition and installation of new engineering services. These TRU's will be placed within the existing hostel area and provided with basic temporal services such as water, sanitation and electricity. The construction of the actual buildings in phase 1 will commence during the 2015/2016 financial year.

(b) The budget allocated for the 2014/2015 financial year amounts to R 65.7 million which will cover the cost for the demolition of existing buildings in phase 1 and the installation of engineering services.

(c) The implementation of phase 1 of the plan will commence during the second quarter of this financial year. This project will be implemented over a period of approximately 7 years subject to the availability of funding.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 366

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 JUNE 2014

Mr N Singh (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans to revamp the Tembisa Hostel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW461E

REPLY

The Sethokga Hostel (also known as Tembisa Hostel) is situated in the township of Tembisa (Ward 4) within the Gauteng Province and falls within the jurisdiction of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

Due to the derelict condition of the existing hostel approximately eight (8) to ten (10) blocks had to be demolished utilising the demolition option of the Community Residential Units Programme. Existing residents occupying blocks that were earmarked for demolition, were relocated to nearby units. This paved the way for the construction of two hundred and twenty two (222) units which have been completed to date. The units consist of one, two and three bed roomed typologies.

The internal reticulation, plumbing and electrical connections in the units have been completed. The next phase of the project entails installing of external bulk services, sewer connections, outside electricity, storm water drainage, and landscaping and tar roads. Once this has been completed the units will be allocated to qualifying beneficiaries for occupation.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 319

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 JUNE 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) What are the details of office furniture ordered and or purchased for the use of her and/or her staff since 1 May 2014;

(2) in respect of each piece of furniture, (a) what is the description, (b) what is the breakdown of the costs, (c) where will each piece of furniture be used and (d) who will use each piece of furniture;

(3) what are the details of furniture disposed of;

(4) in respect of each piece of furniture disposed of, (a) what is the description, (b) original purchase costs and (c) on what date was it purchased;

(5) (a) how was this furniture disposed of, (b) what disposal method was used, (c) what is the name and contact details of person/s to whom it was disposed and (d) at what price was it disposed of? NW400E

REPLY

(1) There is no furniture ordered or purchased for the use of the Minister and/or her staff since May 2014.

(2) Not applicable.

(3) Not applicable.

(4) Not applicable.

(5) Not applicable.

Reply received: March 2014

QUESTION NUMBER: PQ 309 [NW363E]
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 07 MARCH 2014
NJOBE (COPE) REGARDING BUCKET TOILETS AT EMAHASHAHASHENI INFORMAL SETTLEMENT IN EKURHULENI ON THE EAST RAND.

Whether the Minister is aware that 500 households of Emahashahasheni informal settlement in Ekurhuleni on the East Rand of Johannesburg share 16 bucket toilets which are collected once a week; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant issues?

REPLY:

The Settlement is located on a privately owned land.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 285

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 JUNE 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) What are the details of motor vehicles ordered and/or purchased for her use since May 2014;

(2) (a) what is the (i) make, (ii) model, (iii) total cost and (iv) breakdown of the cost of each motor vehicle and (b) where will each motor vehicle normally be stationed? NW365E

REPLY

(1) There is no vehicle ordered or purchased for the use of the Minister since May 2014.

(2) Falls away.

Reply received: March 2014

QUESTION NUMBER:247 [No NW298E]

247. Mr T Botha (Cope) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) Whether the sentencing in Gauteng of two government officials (names furnished), who sold state-owned land illegally, to (a) three years correctional supervision, as well as (b) 12 months' imprisonment for trespassing on state-owned land, but suspended for 12 months, reflects Government's resolve to fight corruption; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY:

The Minister respects the roles, powers and independence of the Courts and also that of the National Prosecuting Authority, who are vested with the responsibility and authority for judicial matters, and the handling the prosecution of criminal matters respectively. The Minister further respects the processes through which the mentioned persons had been subjected, as having been conducted in accordance with fair and due process as stipulated in our Constitution.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 235

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 JUNE 2014

Mr S M Gana (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) How many Reconstruction and Development (RDP) houses were repaired by her department (a) in the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 financial years and (b) during the period 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

(2) (a) how many of these repairs were due to (i) natural disasters and (ii) poor workmanship of contractors and (b) what was the total cost of these repairs;

(3) what amount was spent in each province on repairing the houses due to poor workmanship? NW313E

REPLY

The implementation of the Rectification Programme is undertaken by the provinces in collaboration with the relevant municipalities. The National Department monitors the implementation of the Programme. In this regard, the information available to us is as follows:

(1) (a) Reconstruction and Development (RDP) houses that were repaired (including old housing stock)

(i) 2011-12: 7 450 units

(ii) 2012-13: 9 177 units

(iii) 2013-14: 10 507 units

(b) during the period 1 April 2014 up to 31 May 2014: 1 097 units

(2) (a) (i) 1 772 houses affected by disasters were repaired

(ii) 26 459 houses were rectified due to poor workmanship of contractors or for reasons in terms of the National Rectification Programme but excluding damage caused by natural disasters.

(b) The total cost of all repairs and rebuilds: R 2 214 843 000.

(3) The amount spent on the National Rectification Programme as per national policy (including defects that were due to poor workmanship) namely, upgrading to achieve an acceptable minimum technical standard determined by the MEC in respect of municipal engineering services and the top structure; renovations to address dilapidated conditions and/or to terminate hazardous health and safety conditions that occurred due to the inappropriate design of the dwelling and/or where inappropriate construction methods or standards were applied, address the state of disrepair that occurred due to inappropriate top structure design and the failure to effect any precautionary measures; inappropriate construction methods or standards that were applied; inappropriate location of the dwelling such as in areas with a high dolomite concentration and even areas prone to flooding that are unsuitable for residential development and human habitation, is provided in the table:

Expenditure per province on the Rectification Programme including repairing houses due to poor workmanship (but excluding disaster repairs) for the period 2011/12 to 31 May 2014 from the Human Settlement Development Grant:

Province	Expenditure (R'000)
Eastern Cape	1,521,608
Free State	121,870
Gauteng	137,689
KwaZulu-Natal	206,001
Limpopo	7,617
Mpumalanga	12,093
Northern Cape	68,819
North West	12,167
Western Cape	42,075
Total	2,129,939

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 202

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 JUNE 2014

Mr R A Lees (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) What are the details of official credit cards issued to (a) her and/or (b) her staff;

(2) in respect of each credit card, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) organogram position of the user, (b) what is the (i) maximum permissible value of each purchase and (ii) total credit limit of the card, (c) what are the details of permissible purchases for which the credit cards may be used and (d) may alcoholic beverages be purchased;

(3) in respect of purchases made with each credit card during the period 8 May 2014 and/or thereafter up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) organogram position of the user, (b) what is the (i) value of each purchase made, (ii) what are the details of each item purchased and (iii) for what purpose was each purchase made and (c) were any alcoholic beverages purchased; if so, (i) what are the (aa) details and (bb) value of these purchases and (ii) for what purpose was each purchase made? NW139E

REPLY

(1) None.

(2) & (3) Not applicable.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 200

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 JUNE 2014

Ms KP Sithole (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

What plans are in place to find a workable solution that will benefit shack dwellers in Lwandle?

NW12E

REPLY

It is envisaged that the outcome of Ministerial Enquiry will assist us at arriving at a lasting solution for the community of Lwandle. We await the outcome of the Enquiry after which the Department will make proposals on the permanent solution.

However, there are immediate interventions by my Department and the Housing development Agency (HDA) working together with the City of Cape Town. These entail the provision of emergency housing kits as well as chemicals toilets.

The delivery of the first batch of emergency kits amounting to 200 commenced on 19^thJune 2014, measuring 6m x 3m (18 square metres). This was followed by the supply of chemical toilets. The City of Cape Town has undertaken to provide flush toilets within 2 months. Construction of units is on-going and as at 30 June 201, 126 structures have been put up. Plans are being developed to accommodate the affected qualifying families within the different permanent housing developments which the City of Cape Town is and will be providing.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 199

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 JUNE 2014

Mr K P Sithole (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

Whether her department has any plans in place to renovate Diepkloof Hostel in Soweto; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW11E

REPLY

Honourable member, I know that the matter of hostel upgrades has been a serious concern for the IFP. We have now resolved to ensure that it is one of our priority projects. However, we would need the IFP's assistance with consumer education as in some cases, where hostels have been completed, the residents refuse to occupy them.

The process for the upgrading of the existing Diepkloof Hostel commenced during the 2007/2008 financial year and is currently underway as a phased in approach.

The first phase which utilised the new build infill development option of the Community Residential Units Programme has resulted in the construction of two hundred and sixteen (216) units. This development progressed to completion while residents still occupied the old hostel blocks which are situated on the periphery of the construction site. Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO) has been tasked to undertake the process of beneficiary administration and upon finalisation, recipients will take occupation of these completed units.

The second phase of this project entails the demolition option of the Community Residential Units programme. It is envisaged that all old Diepkloof Hostel blocks will be demolished in the next five (5) years and this will pave the way for access roads to the new rental units. Affected residents will be relocated into Temporary residential units (TRU's) until demolition and the following phase of construction has been completed.

This project, upon completion (in the forthcoming two to three financial years), will consist of a mixed development of typologies to suit the needs of the different categories of beneficiaries. It will comprise of approximately one thousand (1000) units of RDP walk-ups as well as Social Housing and Community Residential Units.

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 194

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17 JUNE 2014

Ms T Stander (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) What are the details of all the costs of the maintenance of the pot plants in her (a) departmental offices and (b) official residence (i) in the (aa) 2009-10, (bb) 2010-11, (cc) 2011-12, (dd) 2012-13 and (ee) 2013-14 financial years and (ii) since 1 April 2014;

(2) in respect of the pot plant maintenance, (a) what is the (i) address and (ii) name of the office where they were/are displayed, (b) for whose benefit are these pot plants, (c) what was/is the value of maintenance for each office and (d) what are the details of any contracts and/or plans for the maintenance of these pot plants in the future? NW244E

REPLY

(1) The details of the costs of the maintenance of pot plants in the

(a) Departmental Offices

(i) (aa) in the 2009-10 financial years the total value is R 42 128.04

(bb) in the 2010-11 financial years the total value is R 59 190.12

(cc) in the 2011-12 financial years the total value is R 80 728.94

(dd) in the 2012-13 financial years the total value is R 9 781.54

(ee) in the 2013-14 financial years, no pot plants were procured

(ii) Since April 2014, no pot plants have been procured.

(b) No pot plants were procured for the official residences

(2) (a)(i) The address: 240 Justice Mohamed Street, Sunnyside Pretoria, 0001 (ii) The name of the Office where pot plants were displayed is: Goven Mbeki House, and is situated in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

(b) Undoubtedly, pot plants are not only for the decoration of the Offices to enhance the image of the Department but also contribute to the well- being of staff. In a research done by Dr. Roger S. Ulrich of Texas A&M University, Helen Russell, Surrey University, England as well as the recent studies conducted by Dr. Virginia Lohr of Washington State University confirms that plants significantly lower workplace stress and enhances productivity. Some of the findings revealed the following:

Plants offer a means to decrease stress while enhancing productivity by 12%.

Plants in the workplace offer more than aesthetic value. In fact, studies have shown that they help reduce stress, reduces blood pressure, enhance employee attitudes positively, increase productivity, and improve air quality through oxygen needed in the overcrowded offices Public Servants work in.

Interior plants lower O&M (Operations and Maintenance) costs while contributing to 'Green Building' design considerations.

Plants cool environments through a process called transpiration, which decreases air temperature in offices by ten degrees. Plant transpiration in office environments releases moisture, creating a humidity level exactly matching the recommended human comfort range of 30-60%.

Plants help reduce distractions due to office noise.

Strategically placed, plants quiet down an office noise. A small indoor hedge placed around a workspace will reduce noise by 5 decibels. The positive contribution of interior plants to sound absorption has been well documented in numerous studies including the work done by Dr. Helen Russell, Oxford, England and David Uzzell, University of Surrey, England.

(c ) The total value of the maintenance of the pot plants was R 191 828.64.

(c) Since April 2013, no maintenance contracts were entered into and therefore, no pot plants maintenance services have been procured.

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 160

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17 JUNE 2014

Ms N W A Michael (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) What are the details of all expenditure that was found to have been (a) irregular and (b) wasteful in her department for each year from 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

(2) in respect of each such finding of (a) irregular and (b) wasteful expenditure, (i) what (aa) is the description thereof, (bb) is the value thereof and (cc) action has been taken against the persons accountable for such expenditure and (ii) how much thereof (aa) has been recovered and (bb) from whom? NW174E

REPLY

The information requested by the Honourable member is readily available in annual reports tabled in Parliament in terms of the Public Finance Management Act of 1999. The 2013/14 annual report will be tabled in due course bearing in mind that the outer date set by Parliament for tabling annual reports is 30 September of each year. Our annual reports are also posted on our website: www.dhs.gov.za. I am also in a process of acquainting myself with these findings and investigating the more urgent ones. A more comprehensive report can only be available once I have investigated all matters.

See the link: www.pmg.org.za/files/rnw160a.pdf

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 95

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17 JUNE 2014

Mr C D Matsepe (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) How many (a) international and (b) domestic flights were undertaken by (i) her and (ii) her predecessors using (aa) aircraft operated by the military, (bb) aircraft chartered by the military or (cc) commercial aircraft during the period 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

(2) in respect of each specified flight, what was the (a)(i) date and (ii) place of (aa) departure and (bb) arrival and (b)(i) total cost and (ii) breakdown of such costs? NW104E

REPLY

(1) (a) (i) None

(ii) Four (4) international flights were undertaken by my predecessors.

(b) (i) Eighteen (18) domestic flights

(ii) Ninety one (91) domestic flights were undertaken by my predecessors

(aa) & (bb) None

(2) The information requested by the Honourable member is provided in the 2013/14 Annual Report which is yet to be tabled in Parliament.

Reply received: March 2014

QUESTION NUMBER: PQ 70 [NW71E]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 13 FEBRUARY 2014

70. Mrs A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) With reference to the provision of housing in wards 48, 49, 50, 51 and 53 in the Uitenhage area of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, what are the details of the existing plans for the provision of housing from the 2008-09 financial year up to the financial year to which the plans extend, including (a) details of land identified for housing, (b) details of all planned housing projects , including size, timeframe and cost and (c) details of the methodology utilised for the compilation and publication of the list of beneficiaries in each case:

(2) whether she is aware of the delays that have occurred in the provision of housing according to the plans referred to above; if so, (a) what are the details of the delays and (b) what are the reasons for the delays;

(3) whether any person(s) have been or will be held accountable for the delays;

(4) whether she is aware of any under expenditure of monies allocated for housing development in the above areas in the financial years referred to; if so, (a) what are the details of the under expenditure and (b) what are the reasons for the under expenditure;

(5) whether any person(s) have been or will be held accountable for the under expenditure? NW71E

REPLY

(1) The Wards have been identified as Housing Projects ranging from completed to be completed

Reply received: August 2014

QUESTION NO.: 58

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17 JUNE 2014

Mr T W Mhlongo (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) Is she aware of the fact that houses are still being erected illegally in Lenasia, Gauteng;

(2) (a) how many illegal structures have been erected since 1 January 2013 and (b) how many have been bulldozed since 1 January 2013;

(3) does the Special Lenasia Intervention Task Team have any outstanding issues which need to be addressed; if not, what was the task team's final agreement; if so, what are the outstanding issues;

(4) (a) when did the task team's most recent meeting take place and (b) what was discussed at the meeting? NW64E

REPLY

(1) No. However, I have referred this question to the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Housing in Gauteng for a report.

(2) Not applicable.

(3) The Special Lenasia Intervention Team (SPLIT) was established by the former Minister of Human Settlements Mr. Tokyo Sexwale with specific and clear Terms of Reference. (Terms of Reference are herewith attached), furthermore SPLIT had a number of meetings, which culminated into the Parties represented by the Legal Resource Centre (LRC) and the South African Human Rights Commission agreeing and adopting Lenasia Implementation Framework.

The only issues of the Implementation Framework as agreed to by all the parties which are still ongoing including, inter alia the following:

· Evaluation of each stand affected by the demolitions;

· Investigation and audit of each household;

· Investigation by the NHBRC on quality assurance and compliance;

· The agreed Implementation Framework as signed by all the parties including the Human Rights Commission is herewith attached; and

· The Human Rights Commission has indicated its satisfaction with the nature of procedures and quality of the consultation process.

(4) Following the adoption by all parties of the Implementation Framework, it was agreed that the Framework will be implemented by all identified stakeholders with specific responsibilities and tasks which includes inter alia the following:

· The JHB Metro Police is to enforce the by-laws by ensuring that there is no further illegal invasions;

· The City of JHB is to monitor and enforce compliance with the by-laws including water and electricity and Servitudes;

· The NHBRC to do the quality assurance; and

· The provincial Department of Human Settlements is to ensure monitoring of the implementation of the Framework by the parties and report to SPLIT as and when required.

TERMS OF REFERENECE SPECIAL LENASIA INTERVENTION TEAM (SPLIT)

1. OBJECTIVE

The purpose of SPLIT is to assist government to find suitable, permanent and sustainable solutions to the problems as experienced in Lenasia, extension 4 and 13.

In doing so, SPLIT will, among other things:

· Analyse historical and current problems in Lenasia Extension 4 and 13, respectively;

· Establish the nature and magnitude of the problem as identified;

· Ensure compliance with the court order issued by the Gauteng South High Court;

· Ensure compliance with the overall undertaking not to demolish existing structures and erection of new (structures);

· Provide the necessary guidance with regards to the legal processes involved in the acquisition of land and construction of houses;

· Ensure that cases of identified perpetrators/ members of the syndicate are referred for investigation and prosecution to the relevant law enforcement agencies; and

· Identify and provide suitable solutions.

2. COMPOSITION OF SPLIT

Organisation	Functional Area	Representative
1. NDHS	Director-General	T Zulu
	Deputy Director-General: Strategy and Planning	N Chainee
	Acting Chief Director: DG Support	W Nkosi
	Director: Legal Advisory Services	K Ngwenya
	Director: Special Investigations	M Shabangu
2. GP Department of Local Government & Housing	Head of Department	M Mnyani
	Director: Anti Fraud & Corruption	P Makhetha
		S Mlotshwa
		V Sifice
		M Motlhaolwa
		V Moreriane
		L Ngcobo
3. Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality	MMC Housing	D Bovu
	MMC's Office	M Padayache
	Housing	G Moganedi
	Ward Councillor	Z Motala
	Ward Councillor	P Molutsi
4. HDA	Chief Executive Officer	T Addler
		E Tukakgomo
		L Rakgoale
5. NHBRC		J Mahachi
		J Motapola
		T Mudau
6. NHFC
7. SAHRC		K Komedi
		I Mangena
		K Candasamy
		C Kisson
		K Ahmed
8. Legal Resources Centre	Attorney	B Mtshali
8. Legal Resources Centre	Attorney	T Mbhense
9. HAWKS
10. Public Protector	GP Representative	D Dube
10. Public Protector		M Malapile
11. SIU
12. Lenasia Residents	Group A
12. Lenasia Residents	Group B

3. MEETINGS OF SPLIT

The Task Team shall meet regularly until it has achieved its mandate and/ or disbanded by the Minister of Human Settlements. The meeting schedule will be agreed upon and finalised at the first meeting of SPLIT.

All meetings of SPLIT shall be chaired by Director-General: Human Settlements or his representative.

Reply received: March 2014

QUESTION NUMBER: PQ 37 [NW38E]
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 13 FEBRUARY 2013
Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(1) How much does her department plan to spend on (a) advertising, (b) communication and (c) marketing between 1 January 2014 and 30 April 2014 (i) in total and (ii) as a breakdown of the amount;

(2) (a) what mediums is her department going to use in each case and (b) who is the service provider to be used;

(3) What is the main message that her department plans to communicate during this time? NW38E

REPLY:

(It)he department would avail such information upon real expenditure of such

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION NO.: 8

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17 JUNE 2014

Mr K P Sithole (IFP) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:

(a) How many home owners of Umlazi Township do not own title deeds and (b) how does her department plan to issue title deeds to such home owners? NW10E

REPLY:

By way of background to my reply, I wish to indicate that Title deeds (registration of ownership of fixed property) are registered in the Deeds Registry Offices of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, headed by the Chief Registrar of Deeds.

Transfer of ownership of a fully state subsidised housing unit is managed by the housing project developer (Provincial Department or the relevant municipality where the municipality acts as the developer). Only properties that are intended to be in the full ownership of the beneficiaries are transferred. Housing units built in respect of social, institutional, hostel and Community Residential Units (CRU) as well as other state-owned rental units (including those owned by provinces and municipalities) remains the property of the respective state entity.

A national housing programme to transfer pre-1994 state-owned rental stock, mainly in established townships, is being implemented. This Discount Benefit Scheme (DBS) programme, more recently referred to as Enhanced Extended Discount Benefit Scheme (EEDBS) has seen about 350 000 beneficiaries nationally take transfer of their houses up to June 2013.

The National Department of Human Settlements does not have access to up-to-date data and information on title deeds that have been registered within the jurisdiction of the nine provinces and their respective municipalities.

In respect of Umlazi Township, the area falls under the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province, which is responsible for township registration and the title deed registration process.

The relevant details in respect of the information required for the parliamentary question have been requested from the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, and they provided the information included in the reply below:

(a) Information maintained and provided by the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and the Provincial Department indicates that there are currently 3 093 outstanding title deeds in Umlazi Township.

(b) The Department has prioritised the registration and issuing of title deeds to all beneficiaries of state subsidised housing. It has transferred funds to eThekwini Municipality to fast track the registration of title deeds. The obstacles in the process have been identified, and are being addressed.

Some of the challenges that were identified and which are being dealt with include:

(i) Instances of multiple and illegal occupants in houses and subsequent drawn out disputes which require strengthening of Dispute Committees. Illegal occupants are being relocated or regularised where possible. EThekwini municipality has employed additional staff to conduct door-to-door verification of occupants before issuing title deeds. Verification of occupation assists in identifying illegal occupants and determines instances where there are disputes.

(ii) There have been lapses in the township establishment and demarcations of sub-divisions in Umlazi. Professionals are being contracted to do detailed township layouts and design, and conveyances have been identified to open township registers, and process the registration of title deeds.

2014-03-18

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