The North West Province recently played host to a robust two-day Housing Planning Indaba in an effort to unblock hindrances and lay out plans to speedup provision of housing  and other much needed infrastructure.

The session which was held in Haartebeespoort was attended by National Department of Human Settlements, Housing Development Agency (HDA), the Social Housing Regulator Authority (SHRA) and other relevant stakeholders.

Challenges to housing

The gathering emphasised that housing planning needs must respond to targets in the distressed mining towns, informal settlements development, military veterans housing provision and social housing delivery as per national commitments and requirements.

Some of the major challenges identified in planning, implementation and monitoring phase amongst others included:

• Insufficient feasibility analysis,
• Unavailability of land especially in mining areas,
• Delays in land transfers,
• Tribal or remote rural areas challenges,
• Flood and dolomite areas,
• Expensive and time consuming dolomite investigations,
• Illegal sale of BNG houses,
• Growth in informal settlements,
• Blocked projects and illegal occupation of facility stands.

Tumisi Kgomo from the Housing Development Agency said the situation is not all doom and gloom.

“We managed to acquire thousands of hectares of land from private hands and are ready for development planning to address housing needs in different areas. In Rustenburg and Madibeng alone 419 hectares of land has been acquired for future projects. We also have land requisition matters which amounts to over 4000 hectares that are still pending which will be finalised in due course. As the agency we are working tirelessly to ensure there’s land for development of housing in the entire province” Kgomo explained.

Implementation monitoring

The Department will also rollout other important bulk services infrastructure through Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and Provincial Infrastructure Grant (PIG).

R114 million will be channelled to different municipalities across the province to develop water and sanitation infrastructure.

Acting Chief Director Disaster Tshepo Phetlhu emphasised the need to uplift monitoring mechanisms on project implementation and the need for integrated planning.

“The implementation of plans by municipalities needs to be monitored intensively and support must be provided where necessary to ensure hundred percent expenditure of MIG,” Phetlhu noted.