Human settlements require multidisciplinary expertise to fully realise the goals of Outcome 8 of the NDP.

Kibiti Ntshumaelo, professional engineer and managing director of Lekwa Consulting Engineers, discusses how partnering with the public and private sector – to coordinate the building of inclusive, sustainable human settlements – positively drives local and national prosperity, driving the economy through infrastructure investment.

What are Lekwa Consulting Engineers’ areas of expertise within civil engineering consulting?

KN Lekwa Consulting Engineers is a fully fledged consulting civil engineering firm, in existence since 2002. Our focus is on municipal infrastructure, which includes roads, stormwater, water, wastewater, and external bulk water systems.

We design wastewater treatment facilities and potable water treatment facilities, as well as solid waste management systems.

Our work in the human settlements arena is our forte because it requires a multidisciplinary approach encompassing all of these activities.

We are leading consultants within the built environment, heading a team of specialist professionals, so we’re able to undertake projects from cradle to grave, from prefeasibility right up to commissioning and later into maintenance.

How are you working with the Department of Human Settlements to achieve its objective of building 1.5 million houses over the next five years?

Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu has launched the so-called 77 Catalytic Projects. These are mega projects that are redefining human settlement delivery.

For it to work, we need industrial sites, shopping centres, schools, and public amenities. Lekwa Consulting Engineers is involved in projects in the Mega City nodes such as the Nellmapius Ext. 22 and in Boiketlong, in Sebokeng extensions 30, 31, and 32.

These projects are going to yield a significant number of units which will reduce the housing backlog drastically while improving on the regional economy.

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