Madam Deputy Speaker, the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements went on an oversight visit to the Eastern Cape between 4 and 10 October. Naturally, we visited a substantial number of housing projects. What was particularly striking was that the number of new projects under construction probably constituted no more than 10% to 15% of the projects we visited.
The remaining 85% to 90% of the projects fell into one of two categories. The first one was the blocked projects. These are projects that were abandoned and never completed. Some of them started as far back as the late 1990s or the early 2000s, and became blocked for various reasons and had to be unblocked. Unfortunately, some of these unblocked projects are on the verge of becoming blocked again.
The second category of projects we visited fell within what is called the rectification projects. These are projects that were also started years ago, but where some houses are incomplete and those that were completed were of such an inferior quality that they had to be demolished and rebuilt.
However, what was even more shocking was the fact that the majority of these housing projects, contrary to national requirements and what we were told by officials from various municipalities, including the Nelson Mandela Metro, had no infrastructure or basic services whatsoever.
Beneficiaries are given occupation, without them having any running water and although some have toilets installed for waterborne sewerage, those toilets are not even connected to the main sewerage reticulation, where it does exist. Therefore, people have to make use of ordinary, small, plastic baskets which they have to empty in the surrounding open areas.
In the light of this, I would like to suggest to the hon Fransman that he should use his time constructively and accompany Minister Shiceka to the Eastern Cape to witness firsthand how people live without the minimum basic services under an ANC-led government, instead of going on witch-hunts against the DA in the Western Cape, and address this despicable situation. I thank you. [Applause.]