MEC Lenah Miga committed to redress and restore the dignity of poor communities in the North West when she presented her plans to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements. She stated that her department has put together plans and resources to implement the projects at hand. Miga also revealed that her department is in the process of unblocking 247 units on blocked projects in the current financial year. She, however, said Covid-19 is one of the things that impacted the progress of some of these projects, as materials became pricy and some developers were liquidated because of poor performance. Miga added that her department still needs to physically verify the number of asbestos roofs and mud houses across the province, as this will determine the budget required.

“We are mindful of the different circumstances our beneficiaries are faced with and as a department, we conduct due diligence in every project we engage in. Quality assurance and accountability form part of our contract with service providers. We are also enrolled with the National Housing Builders Regulatory Council (NHBRC), which ensures quality and compliance within the industry. The department will also ensure that in every development there are bulk services which will ensure that when people occupy those houses, services will be up and running,” she said.

Meanwhile, the provincial spokesperson, Dineo Lolokwane, says that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements welcomed the presentation of Miga on the priority projects as well as the general performance of her department. This was after Miga had vowed to continue building houses according to the needs of the beneficiaries, especially those living with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. She said this will be achieved by continuing to strengthen relations with local and district municipalities to ensure that services are being rendered to residents.

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