“MEC Lebogang Maile’s Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has once again failed dismally to meet any of its housing services targets because he is distracted by the Gauteng ANC’s election battle” says DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for COGTA and Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota MPL.
Despite the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GP DHS) posting social media content showing the handing over of housing to people in need, Mervyn Cirota MPL alleges that Gauteng residents in desperate need of housing and services are exposed to terrible living conditions, and that MEC Lebogang Maile has put focus on prioritising his political future rather than on his job to deliver these services.
Mr Cirota states that Mr Maile’s job, ensuring that Gauteng residents have access to dignified housing and that informal settlements are upgraded, has been neglected and that this is evident through the department’s third quarter report for the 2021/22 financial year.
According to the department’s third quarter report for the 2021/22 financial year, the following targets were not met:
- Zero townships were formalised against a target of 18
- Zero serviced stands were procured from the private sector against a target of 1,000
- Zero hostels’ projects were approved against a target of five
- Zero hostels where construction was taking place against a target of seven
- Zero family units were completed in hostel redevelopment projects against a target of 180
- Zero informal settlements received interim support services against a target of 60
- Zero informal settlements received phase two upgrading against a target of 15
- Zero approved upgrading plans of individual informal settlements against a target of 20
- Zero top structures were completed against a target of 70
- Zero property transfers were completed against a target of 90%
According to Mr Cirota, there has been no progress on these targets since the beginning of the year.
“This is a significant blow for hostel dwellers, informal settlements and township residents and is likely to raise social risks that could further see situations like the last year’s July unrest” says Mr Cirota, “the DA demands that Premier Makhura must intervene as a matter of urgency and whip MEC Maile into line to ensure that his department delivers on its core mandate to the residents of Gauteng.”
Mr Cirota stated that for far too long, MEC Maile has been given free reign at the expense of taxpayers’ money, “it is high time that MEC Maile delivers what he is paid for. His attitude towards his work has resulted in his accounting officers doing as they please as they follow in his footsteps.”
“We also demand that Premier Makhura must set in motion a workable and implementable turnaround strategy together with timelines for holding this department to account” added Mr Cirota, “the DA will continue to fight for the Gauteng residents to access housing services and dignified housing and for MEC Maile to be held to account.”
