Mpumalanga DA raises its concerns about housing backlog

The Mpumalanga DA expressed its concern on November 8 about the housing backlog in the province lengthening annually, as it said the Department of Human Settlements and MEC Speedy Mashilo keep failing to meet set targets.

In a statement, Trudie Grové-Morgan, the DA spokesperson on human settlements and a member of the Provincial Legislature, said, “Currently the province has a housing backlog of 275 105 (up from 225 023 in 2020/21). In 2016/17, under Violet Siwela, the former MEC of human settlements, the backlog stood at 147 000.”

She said according to the department’s own annual report of 2021/22, they set themselves a target of providing 10 621 housing opportunities, but they only managed to provide 9 832 – with the majority of these being 6 857 serviced sites.

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“This clearly shows that Mashilo and his department are not so speedy at all when it comes to delivering much-needed housing to the residents of Mpumalanga. The DA finds this extremely concerning against the backdrop of the current housing backlog we have in the province.

“This department should be doing all it can to roll out much-needed housing and related services to the residents who have been waiting for 28 years. However, the shortcomings in this department is negating this, and merely adding to the housing backlog in return.”
She said the department’s 2021/22 annual report further reveals that they are struggling with bulk water projects and the issuing of title deeds.

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“The department failed to complete seven planned bulk water projects and have shifted these to the next financial year. With regards to title deeds, the department only managed to issue 692 out of a planned target of 4 685. Given the above, the DA has written to Mashilo requesting that he deals with the inadequacies in his department in order to decrease our housing backlog.”