Plea for action on dismal housing delivery record
Tabelo Timse MUNICIPAL CORRESPONDENT
COUNCILLORS serving on Nelson Mandela Bay‘s housing and land committee have called for the municipal manager to account for why the municipality has managed to build only 1000 houses instead of 7000.
The committee has suggested the mayoral committee compel municipal manager Graham Richards to submit a full performance report on housing delivery. It has also asked Richards to submit a report on how the unit could be reorganised to ensure service delivery.
The committee has also recommended a task team to probe illegal occupation and selling of RDP houses be set up.
Committee chairman Eldridge Jerry said he had received several complaints about empty houses sometimes used by criminals. The other problem was people selling their RDP houses.
The recommendations came at a meeting on Monday after all the committee members fully endorsed Jerry‘s proposal for a public inquiry.
Jerry said the fact that the unit had about 700 employees but had managed to build only 1000 house this financial year was unacceptable.
DA councillor Andrew Gibbon said the person responsible for municipal administration and service delivery was the municipal manager and he should prepare a full report on why there was no service delivery.
ANC councillor Andile Gqalane said he fully supported the idea. “We can‘t sit here with a staff of 700 only to build 1000 houses. We should be ashamed of ourselves. People judge service delivery by houses built. We need to fulfil our obligations.”
Councillor Elizabeth Trent said building fewer than 1000 houses was a monumental failure by the municipality. “There are people who have waited for more than 22 years and now we have to tell them they will not be getting a house again this winter.”
Trent also questioned why a forensic audit report, compiled three years ago, had not yet been seen.
ANC councillor Mzwandile Hote said the municipality could not afford to lose money received from Bhisho. “Instead of losing money, we must lose people who do not perform.”
However, DA councillor Terry Herbst said: “My colleague is polite. I say these officials should be sacked.”