DA demands probe and action as Ekurhuleni housing backlog persists

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng yesterday protested at the office of Premier Panyaza Lesufi, calling for urgent intervention to address long-standing housing backlogs and unfinished projects across Ekurhuleni.

What the DA presented

DA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane read a memorandum before handing it to Lesufi’s special adviser, Mxolisi Xayayi. She said the housing backlog has afflicted communities “since 1996.”

Rasilingwane told the premier’s office that residents have experienced years of delays, mismanagement and lack of transparency in the allocation of houses and that many families continue to live in dire conditions.

Demands made to the premier

In the memorandum, the DA requested the following measures:

• Provide full transparency on the housing list, including how many people are on it and what progress has been made in clearing the backlog since 1996;
• Prioritise long-standing applicants, especially those on the waiting list for decades;
• Investigate and address irregularities in management and allocation of houses, including possible cases of corruption or favouritism;
• Implement a fair plan to resolve the backlog with specific timelines and measurable goals.

Petition and local concerns

Rasilingwane handed over a signed petition from residents of Tembisa and a list of housing projects in Ekurhuleni. She said many projects have been pushed back due to delays caused by funding, incompetent implementation, weak controls and intergovernmental disputes.

She also warned that declared projects often create a “false sense of hope” for beneficiaries, saying:

“There are more than 200 000 people on Ekurhuleni’s waiting list and millions in the province. Millions have been spent on housing projects, which are often declared with pomp and ceremony, giving beneficiaries a false sense of hope. Yet, years later, little has been achieved.”

Call for a forensic probe and follow-up

The DA asked Premier Lesufi to initiate a forensic investigation into the department of human settlements for all projects related to Ekurhuleni so citizens can know what happened to the money and why expected results were not delivered.

Rasilingwane said the DA will follow up after three weeks to check whether government is acting on the requests in the memorandum.

Wider context

The article notes that the Gauteng government was recently reported as failing to finish several housing projects. It also states that last month the province released a statement accusing the DA of misleading the public about the failure of one of its housing projects in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni.