The housing demand list and informal settlements in Gauteng continues to grow as the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS) continue to display poor planning and incompetence in addressing the housing challenge in Gauteng.
The National Treasury has highlighted the poor planning and incompetence of the GDHS by slashing the department’s budget for the 2024/25 financial year by R450 million. This cut reduces the budget from R6.092 billion to R5.642 billion, with unsatisfactory performance being cited as the primary reason behind this decision.
This 7.5% budget recall by the Treasury places the department under immense pressure and hinders its ability to execute crucial projects to improve the living conditions of Gauteng residents.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng has repeatedly criticised the Gauteng Human Settlements Department for its persistent failure to implement effective planning, cohesive processes, and suitable disciplinary actions. These ongoing issues are jeopardising the department’s ability to function properly, raising concerns that it may soon be unable to operate effectively, or at all.
The situation is further complicated by MEC Tasneem Motara’s lack of responsiveness to questions regarding these issues, creating a sense of frustration and hopelessness. It seems there is no clear plan in place to revitalise the department and ensure proper utilisation of its grant funding.
This inefficiency and lack of cohesion in executing planning and processes, especially on projects is concerning. It’s important to note that this is the same department known for its track record of struggling to complete housing projects amid a critical housing crisis in our province.
A Gauteng Provincial Government led by the DA would transform the Department of Human Settlements by conducting a skills audit to assess the capabilities and competencies of the workforce. This audit would identify skills gaps, redundancies, and areas that require training and development. The DA will also hold people accountable to ensure that budgets are properly spent and targets met for the benefit of our people.
The DA will continue to hold the Human Settlements Department accountable to ensure that every family in Gauteng has access to adequate shelter. This obligation is outlined in Section 26 of the Constitution, which states that this right must be “progressively realised”.