Limpopo MEC for co-operative governance
Limpopo is a province under construction, literally. And this is about to escalate even further.
Where in past years past there was nothing but stretches of untouched land and zinc shacks, brick and mortar structures are changing the landscape of the once sleepy province.
The province’s growing mining industry has seen an influxof people searching for better economic opportunities moving into this vastly rural province. As a result, the provincial government now finds itself with the daunting task of providing adequate housing to its rapidly rising population.
But Makoma Makhurupetje, MEC for co-operative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs (CoGHSTA), reckons her department is up for the challenge. Recently, she told the Limpopo Provincial Legislature during the tabling of the department’s budget vote that they are gearing up to achieve their target of “creating 80 000 housing opportunities by 2019”.
Makhurupetje said this is the part of the province’s contribution to the national department of human settlement’s Medium Term Strategic Framework’s [MTSF] commitment to deliver 1.5 million houses.
Besides delivering houses, the MTSF aims to create better spatial planning and better resource allocation, ensuring that poor households have adequate housing in better living environments, and supporting the development of a functional and equitable residential property market.
Makhurupetje revealed that since the dawn of democracy in April 1994, the provincial government has built and handed over 320 000 houses. This, she said, has benefited about 1.8 million people.
To achieve delivering 80 000 housing opportunities by 2019, Makhurupetje said CoGHSTA has set a target of building 9 956 homes in the 2017/18 financial year. This, she said, will benefit an estimated 40 000 citizens who have been living without a “dignified roof” over their heads.
CoGHSTA has been allocated an annual budget of R2.58-billion for the 2017/18 financial year, which is set to increase to R2.65-billion in 2018/19 and R2.79-billion in 2019/20. At least R1.4-billion of the 2017/2018 budget will go towards human settlements.
“Integrated sustainable human settlements is the core business of the department,” said Makhurupetje. “Hence, a bigger allocation to human settlements development.”
She further explained that the budget allocation for Human Settlements is informed by the National Human Settlements Strategy for the years 2014 – 2019, as well as the MTSF.
“The department [CoGHSTA] will take to a higher gear the policy of Breaking New Ground during the coming financial year. Measures to be taken include consolidating the incremental housing delivery gains of 2015/16 and 2016/17. We will also increase both the volumes of delivery, as well as the quality of delivery across multiple programs,” Makhurupetje told the Mail & Guardian.
She said they will also ensure that “housing delivery spreads across growth towns and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as part of our endeavor to meet our target of 80 000 housing opportunities delivery by 2019.”
Makhurupetje said this is important because the projects are conceptually big, “featuring from 1 000 units up to 10 000 units within a development precinct, characterised by various housing typologies (BNGs/RDPs [Breaking New Ground/Reconstruction and Development Programme] and GAP/FLISP [Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme, in the “Gap” market, ie those earning between R3 501 and R15 000 per month]; and Social Rental and Community Residential Units).”
She said this will be supported by commercial developments such as community-based shopping centres, places of worship, playing and social amenities, as well as city/town integrated roads and transport systems to ensure efficient mobility of people. “These projects will span over a period of four to five years, from planning to project maturity.”
The building of houses has also helped create a total of 6 364 job opportunities in the province during the 2016/17 financial year. “This is a significant improvement in performance by our contractors,” said Makhurupetje.
She said in addition to the 6 364 jobs created, the department has appointed 100 Extended Public Works Project jobless youth who have been assigned to the Construction Project Managers throughout the five districts of the province. “This will ensure skills transfer and on-the-job training, and will go a long in alleviating poverty and unemployment,” she said.
Last year, CoGHSTA outlined a turnaround strategy aimed at dealing with some of the challenges plaguing the department, which included issues of low levels of delivery and accountability in certain municipalities.
The turnaround strategy was anchored on four pillars which included Beneficiary Management, Geotechnical Reports and Foundation designs, Partnership with Contractor’s Preferred Material Supplier and Contract Management.
Makhurupetje said these have begun to bear fruit, saying that the turnaround time in geotechnical reports and foundation designs has improved remarkably. She said so far, 12 000 development sites have already been submitted by municipalities as part of forward planning mechanisms on geotechnical studies.
“We are ready to construct on more than 12 000 stands, as they have geotechnical reports with foundation designs available,” she said.
Makhurupetje said they had developed a database panel consisting of 80 contractors for the next three years. She said CoGHSTA is exploring possibilities of introducing the biometrics system in a bid to curb corruption.
The MEC said an amount of R11-million has been set aside to build an additional 150 houses for military veterans during the current financial year. This follows on the appointment of three contractors who were mandated to build 200 units for the military veterans in the 2016/17 financial year.
“The project has moved very slowly, but we will be handing some of the complete units to the beneficiaries in the next two months,” said Makhurupetje.
“In honour of our military veterans, some of whom paid the price of freedom through arm and limb, we continue to implement the Military Veterans Housing Project to specifically ensure that they too get the houses, so that they enjoy the spoils of freedom they fought for.”
Limpopo Human Settlement Projects for the 2017/18 financial year
In Tubatse SEZ (LIM 476); R40-million is allocated, targeting 1 000 sites at Burgersfort Extensions 54, 58, 71, and 72. Furthermore, R140-million will be spent over the next three years to complete all 2 000 sites, as well as the construction of 2 000 BNG and FLISP/GAP housing. Further investments are envisaged over the next three years to support Social and Rental Housing.
At Musina-Makhado SEZ, R30-million is allocated to 900 sites during the 2017/18 financial year targeted at Rhino Ridge Park (900 units). An additional R100-million will be spent on housing and developing land over the next three years to support envisaged growth in this SEZ.
At Lephalale, R40-million is allocated to 1 000 sites, with additional 1 000 BNG and Gap housing during the 2017/18 financial year at a cost of R100-million, targeted at Altoostyd. A further R200-million is set aside to ensure that the 514 much-awaited Community Residential Units are completed during the 2017/18 financial year. Over the next three years, housing at Altoosytd should summit at 5 000.
At Bela-Bela, R40-million is allocated to 1 000 sites and houses during the 2017/18 financial year, targeted at Extension 25.
At Greater Tzaneen, R40-million is allocated to 1 000 sites with over 1 000 BNG houses and CRU units during the 2017/18 financial year, at an additional cost of R100 million, targeting the eradication of Talana Hostel and informal settlements, where lives have been lost.
At Mogalakwena, R30-million is allocated to 900 sites during the 2017/18 financial year targeted at Extension 20. Furthermore, 400 BNG houses are planned over the next three years, with Anglo Platinum Mine envisaged to contribute 2 000 GAP and Rental units.
Polokwane, R40-million is allocated to 2 000 sites during the 2017/18 financial year targeted at Ivydale extension 35, Nirvana extension 4, and Polokwane extensions 86 and 121.