No rescue plan for the abandoned Hospital View housing project, over 500 families forced to wait longer for houses

Over 500 families desperate for housing will have to wait longer for dignified housing because the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements does not have a plan to rescue the abandoned and vandalised Hospital View housing project in the City of Ekurhuleni.

The project was vandalised in 2021, and according to the City of Ekurhuleni Human Settlement Department, it is estimated that over R60 million will be needed to refurbish these vandalised housing units.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) conducted an oversight inspection of these housing units, and we discovered that the housing units have been severely vandalised and will cost more than the estimated amount.

The bulk infrastructure previously installed has been vandalised, including water infrastructure, electricity cables, and substations.

Please see the photos here, here, and here.

Failure to complete the housing projects on time has resulted in them being abandoned and prone to vandalism.

The DA proposes that the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile, must rescue the project. The following must be done: assess the damage and how much is needed to refurbish the housing projects.

We will also be tabling questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to ascertain the department’s plans to ensure this project is refurbished and how much is needed.

Neglected Dan Tloome Mega Housing Project residents suffer a severe lack of service delivery

Residents of the neglected Dan Tloome Mega Housing Project in Wheatlands, Randfontein, continue to suffer due to terrible infrastructure and a severe lack of basic service delivery.

The housing units were not properly built; the walls are cracking, and the geysers are leaking. The infrastructure is on the verge of collapsing and won’t last longer should it not be fixed. There is no regular refuse removal, and crime is a major issue.

Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) conducted an oversight inspection at the Dan Tloome Mega Housing Project, and we were shocked about the state of the infrastructure.

Since the residents occupied these housing units four years ago, there have been no plans in place to build a clinic, police station, schools, or shopping centres.

The DA proposes that the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlement, Lebogang Maile, urgently conduct a geotechnical assessment of the buildings and provide a report which will determine how to fix it.

We also demand an urgent intervention from various provincial departments to ensure these residents have access to much-needed basic services.

DA to assess the severe lack of service delivery at the Dan Tloome Mega Housing Project

Tomorrow, Wednesday, 20 September 2023, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota MPL, and the DA Spokesperson for Human Settlements, Evert Du Plessis MPL, will conduct an oversight inspection at the neglected Dan Tloome Mega Housing Project in Randfontein.

The DA will assess the severe lack of service delivery at the Dan Tloome Mega Housing Project. There is a serious challenge of sewer blockages from the main line flowing all over the area, creating a health hazard.

The roof is leaking, and the walls are mouldy due to shoddy workmanship. There is also no regular refuse removal, leading to the mushrooming of illegal dumping sites and litter all over the area.

The DA will inspect the housing units and engage with the residents to determine the challenges they are facing and alternative solutions.

Members of the media are invited and there will be an opportunity for interview and photographs.

Details of the oversight inspection are as follows:

Date: 20 September 2023
Venue: 1489 extension 5, Wheatlands, Randfontein, 1759
Time: 10:00

Mashatile’s son-in-law’s dealings with the GPF must be made public

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands that the completed report into Nonkwelo Investments be made public immediately by the MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile.

The disclosure of the report will prevent further speculation on the nature of the loan granted to Nonkwelo Investments by the fund and provide answers on why Nonkwelo Investments benefited from the transaction.

The loans were granted during the time that the Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, was the MEC for Human Settlements in Gauteng.

It is alleged that Nonkwelo Investments benefitted from loans from the GPF between 2013 and 2017, totalling at least R30 million.

If MEC Maile is committed to ensuring transparency in his department and entities, he will make this report available immediately.

Furthermore, if it is found in this report that Nonkwelo Investments unduly benefited from the loans granted by the GPF, this money must be recovered.

In addition, any officials involved in awarding this loan must be investigated and should it be found that there was a breach of any processes, disciplinary action and, where applicable, criminal charges must follow.

The DA will continue to put pressure on MEC Maile to ensure that the report is urgently released and that those implicated in dishonest practices are held to account.

Joburg South dilapidated residential facilities put elderly lives at risk

The lives and belongings of the elderly residing at Annie Burger and Crown Gardens villages in Johannesburg South are at risk due to collapsing infrastructure.

These residential facilities have been neglected for years, and they are in dire need of proper and regular maintenance.

The environment in which these elderly residents are living is not beneficial to human habitation. The walls have cracks and mould, the windows are broken, and the ceiling is damaged.

The DA conducted an oversight inspection of these facilities recently, and we discovered the appalling living conditions that the residents are exposed to daily.

See the photos here, here, and here.

The City of Johannesburg has disconnected water at Annie Burger Village, and the elderly fetch water from a Jojo tank.

Some of the elderly residents are using their own pension money to fix and paint their rooms.

Furthermore, issues concerning crime and various social ills need urgent intervention.

The DA will write to the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile, to ascertain who is responsible for the maintenance of these elderly residential facilities, how much is the maintenance budget, and when the last maintenance was done at these facilities. We also want to know who is responsible for paying utility bills.

In addition, we will also write to the Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Mbali Hlophe, and the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko, requesting crime and social service awareness at these facilities.

We will fight to ensure that the elderly facilities are adequately maintained and that they have access to all basic services.

Slow progress in Mega Housing projects exposes GPG’s failure to provide dignified housing

The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has constantly failed the residents in dire need of dignified housing. Gauteng residents have been forced to live in inhumane, unsanitary, and undignified housing for years because the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements this department cannot get their priorities in order.

This has led to residents becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their living conditions and expressing their frustrations through service delivery protests over their lack of suitable housing.

Many promises previously made by former Premier David Makhura have now been repeated by Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who says many mega housing projects in the pipeline on the West Rand will provide housing to residents in need of dignified housing.

According to a reply to the Democratic Alliance’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), no mega-housing projects have been completed since the commencement of the programme.

Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile, has indicated that there are currently six mega projects to be completed, with the Westonaria Borwa project, which commenced in 2011, still nowhere near completion.

These Mega Projects were expected to deliver between 5100 and 12300 units of different typologies over many years. The main aim of the Mega Projects is to develop new human settlements.

The following Mega Projects have been undertaken in the West Rand District Municipalities:
1. Affrivillage – 2172 units of which have been completed;
2. Montrose – 394 units of which have been completed.
3. Elijah – 5020 units of which have been completed.
4. Westonaria Borwa – 2196 units of which have been completed;
5. Dan Tloome – 3290 units of which have been completed;
6. Western Mega – 279 units of which have been completed.

Furthermore, an amount of R8 572 120 000, 00 has been spent on these Mega Housing Projects since 2015.

This is a clear indication that the department is incapable of building adequate and dignified housing for Gauteng residents.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi is making empty promises as an electioneering tool ahead of the 2024 general elections.

The DA demands that a forensic investigation be launched into all the Mega Housing Projects in the province to determine why it is taking so long for these projects to be completed.

A DA government in 2014 will prioritise completing all the megaprojects in the province.

DA welcomes the SAHRC’s probe into Evaton residents’ use of pit toilets

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng welcomes the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) investigation into the unsanitary and inhumane use of pit toilets by Evaton residents in Emfuleni.

For the past 29 years, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has failed to eradicate pit toilets in Evaton and to provide dignified housing and access to reliable water and electricity supplies for Evaton residents.

Today, the DA conducted an oversight inspection with the SAHRC in Evaton, and we were shocked to discover that six households are sharing one pit toilet.

See the photos here, here, here, and here.

This is appalling, unhygienic, and poses a danger to children, women, and the community.

Furthermore, most of the community members who are eligible to vote do not have identity documents, and their children do not have birth certificates.

This is because they cannot afford to commute to Home Affairs offices to apply for identity documents and birth certificates.

The DA will write to the following Gauteng MECs for Human Settlements, Social Development, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and the Minister for Home Affairs to seek assistance with the issues faced by these residents.

These residents continue to suffer due to the failed Evaton Renewal Project.

The DA demands that the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile, urgently launch a forensic audit into the failed Evaton Renewal Project to establish what happened to the millions allocated to the project.

DA joins SAHRC to inspect Evaton pit toilets

Today, 18 July 2023, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Meryn Cirota MPL, and the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Human Settlements, Evert Du Plessis MPL, will join the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to inspect the pit toilets used by Evaton residents in Emfuleni Local Municipality.

This follows the DA’s request to the SAHRC to investigate the unsanitary, inhumane, and undignified living conditions of the residents of Evaton.

For over 30 years, Evaton residents have been utilising pit toilets and constantly living in fear of the risk of their children drowning in a pit toilet.

We will conduct a walkabout, engage with the community, and assess the pit toilets and other service delivery issues faced by the residents daily.

The media is invited, and there will be an opportunity for interviews and photographs.

Details of the event are as follows:

Date: 18 July 2023

Starting Point: Evaton Mall, Emfuleni Local Municipality.

Time: 10:50

DA demands a forensic investigation into the Gauteng Partnership Fund

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands that a forensic investigation be launched into the Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF).

This follows damning media reports that the Deputy President, Paul Mashitile’s son-in-law, benefited from a housing loan from the GPF, an entity of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements.

The loans that Mashitile’s son-in-law received were during the time that the Deputy President was the MEC for Human Settlements in Gauteng.

It’s believed that Nonkwelo Investments benefited from loans from the GPF between 2013 and 2017, totaling at least R30 million.

This is very worrying, as earlier this year, questions arose in the department of Human Settlements as to the exact functions and role of the GPF.

A forensic investigation must be conducted as a matter of urgency. The forensic investigation should look into all operations of the GPF from 2013 to 2023.

It is unacceptable that friends and family members of high-ranking government officials unduly benefit from loans meant to uplift residents who are unable to access dignified housing without some assistance from the government.

If it is found during this forensic investigation that anyone has unlawfully benefitted from any GPF loans, then this money must be fully recovered. Disciplinary action should also be taken against all the officials involved in awarding this loan, and a criminal investigation should be instituted.

Alberton elderly exposed to terrible conditions at Silwerkroon flats

Alberton’s elderly residing at Silwerkroon flats are exposed to terrible conditions as the building is not properly and regularly maintained.

This block of flats owned by Ekurhuleni has been neglected for years and the elderly residents are suffering. Eight rooms are standing empty because there is no money to have them painted and fixed.

The gutters are leaking, the ceilings are damaged, and the metal sheets that cover the parking area are rusted and need to be replaced.

The fire escape area has also not been properly maintained, and the fire extinguishers were last serviced in 2016.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota MPL, the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Human Settlements, Evert Du Plessis MPL, the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development, Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL, and the DA Ekurhuleni Councillors, Cllr Philip Thamahane, Cllr Sinethemba Matiwane, and Cllr Victor Lukhele, conducted an oversight inspection at Silwerkroon yesterday.

See the photos here, here, here.

We discovered that the heat pumps installed in front of every flat for residents to save on electricity by the Gauteng Provincial Government are not working because they have not been properly maintained.

The DA will be tabling questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to the MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile as well as the MEC for Social Development, Mbali Hlophe to determine:

1.What maintenance has been done on the building in the last three years.
2.What interaction there has been between the Ekurhuleni department of Human Settlements and the Provincial Department of Human Settlements to ensure a co-ordinated approach in maintaining the building.
3.When an inspection will be done to determine the extent of the maintenance required and when repairs will begin
4.What the conditions of agreement were regarding maintenance when they donated heat pumps to Ekurhuleni for this building.

The DA will further file questions to the respective MEC’s and return in a few months to examine and analyze progress made.