R371 million housing project is now only unfinished houses which have been vandalised and stripped of anything of resale value

The Tembisa Extension 25 Mega Housing Project has remained stalled for five years, leaving thousands of homes incomplete despite millions of rands being spent.

The project, which was launched in 2018, promised to deliver 3,510 housing units to the residents of Thembisa at a cost of R371 million.

This would have included 3,159 RDP walk-up units and 351 social housing units, built on a 58-hectare site in the Winnie Mandela informal settlement in Thembisa.

The construction has remained stalled since 2021, and today, much of the site has been vandalised and stripped of anything of resale value, such as roofs, fencing, and electrical equipment.

Two contractors were initially commissioned to construct the first phase of 500 housing units, and the site was officially handed over in February 2020.

By the end of 2020, then-MMC for Human Settlements Lesiba Mpya reported that the project was 23% complete and expected to be finalised in June 2021.

This did not materialise, with both the Ekurhuleni and Gauteng Housing Departments both denying that the housing project falls under their jurisdiction.

Additionally, the City of Ekurhuleni has maintained that the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS) should be held liable for the project’s incompleteness.

Incumbent MMC for Human Settlements in Ekurhuleni, Kgopelo Hollo, previously said the project was abandoned due to interference from the construction mafia.

“Some unknown people came in numbers two years ago and hijacked the project,” Hollo said. “At the same time, they also stole components of the project like windows, roofs, and electrical cables.”

Hollo said that the lack of funding to repair the damage from the vandalism drove the contractors to abandon the project.

He also said at the time that construction would only resume after the City of Ekurhuleni had received R97 million in funding from the GDHS.

Department of Human Settlements denies responsibility

In a recent parliamentary Q&A, Member of the National Assembly Joel Sihle Ngubane called on the Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, to account for the project’s incompleteness.

Ngubane asked the Minister to detail who was being held accountable for the housing project’s failure and what actions had been taken against them for the project’s delays and neglect.

He also called on the Minister to provide a fixed date by which her department would ensure that the incomplete housing units were completed and handed over to beneficiaries.

In her response, Simelane said the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality was solely responsible for funding and implementing the housing project.

This includes all of the planning, procurement, contract management, budgeting and expenditure, project scoping, risk assessment, and project performance.

“The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements exercises provincial oversight, coordination and support responsibilities,” Simelane said.

“The department continues to work with the City of Ekurhuleni to address the challenges affecting delivery of the projects.”

Simelane said the City of Ekurhuleni had reported alleged site hijacking and interference by the construction mafia to her department, which had affected the continuation of the housing project.

In response, she said a Technical Committee had been established to assess the project’s current state and recommend its resumption and completion.

This Committee includes representatives from the GDHS, the City of Ekurhuleni, the National Home Builders Registration Council, and other relevant stakeholders.

However, Simelane reiterated that the Department of Human Settlements, in its own capacity, only operated in a provincial oversight and support role for the project.

“The department does not exercise day-to-day operational or disciplinary authority over municipal officials or contractors appointed by the City,” Simelane said.

“No disciplinary action has been instituted by the GDHS against its officials in relation to the implementation of the Thembisa Extension Project.”

Simelane said a fixed completion date for the project could not be provided at this stage, pending the completion of the technical assessment.

Based on a preliminary assessment, however, she estimated that completing the project could take another 36 months, given the necessary funding and procurement arrangements.