Mpumalanga government lowers its housing targets, despite backlog of 275,000 houses

Issued by James Masango – DA Spokesperson on GoGTA and Human Settlement: Mpumalanga Province
14 Nov 2024 in Press Releases

The DA in Mpumalanga will write to the MEC of CoGHSTA, Speedy Mashilo, to demand that his department meet the needs of housing delivery in the coming financial years, instead of lowering their targets to unacceptable levels. 

 This comes after the 2023/24 annual report revealed that the department decreased the following annual housing development targets: 

  • The number of sites serviced and sites delivered from 5 790 to 4 399
  • The number of project linked individual subsidies from 20 to 5
  • The number of households that received subsidies through first home finance from 50 to 40
  • The number of houses completed through rural housing communal land rights from 903 to 901.

Despite these revisions, the DA expresses concern at the fact that the department is still failing to meet the new targets that have been set. It cannot even meet its own lowered targets.

Notably, the province has a housing backlog of 275 103 (up from 225 023 in 2020/2021). With the Department under the leadership of Violet Siwela during 2016/2017, the housing backlog stood at 147 000.

Being cognisant of the fact that the Province’s housing backlog increased by 128 103 houses to 275 103 houses over a span of eight years, the DA condemns the continuous trend and inability of this department to stick to the housing delivery targets that have been set over the past couple of years.

The report further highlighted that the department failed to meet: 

  • The number of sites serviced and sites delivered by 686 against the revised target and by 2 077 against the original target
  •  The number of top structure housing units by 690 units against the revised target and by 1 313 units against the original target
  • The number of houses completed through rural housing communal land rights by 825 against the new target and 827 against the original target.

Noting these challenges, the DA expects the department to act urgently  and engage with stakeholders and demonstrate the required commitment to restore confidence in the delivery of essential services.