MINISTRY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES (NCOP)
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.: 51
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 6 MARCH 2015
Mr F Essack (DA-Mpumalanga) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:
Whether, with regard to the (a)(i) R32Â 924Â 000 and (ii) R123Â 699Â 000
returned to National Treasury by the Mpumalanga Department of Human
Settlements and (b) housing backlog of nearly 200Â 000 houses in the
province as at November 2014, she will undertake to put pressure on the
Mpumalanga MEC of Human Settlements to ensure that her department spends
all the funds allocated to them in order to address the housing backlog; if
not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant
details?
CW76E
REPLY
(a)(i) The return of R 32 924 00 in 2012/13, which represented 2.8% of
2012/13 of the total HSDG allocation, to National Treasury as unspent
funds by the Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlements was
unfortunate in a country where the demand for housing is so enormous.
(ii) In the 2013/14 financial year, the Mpumalanga Department of
Human Settlements returned a total of R123 699 000 as unspent and
subsequently applied for a roll-over for the same amount as it was
committed to completing housing units that were left at various
construction stages at the end of the 2013/14 financial year. The roll-
over request for the amount of R123 699 000 was subsequently granted
by National Treasury. During the budget adjustments the funds were
appropriated back to the Mpumalanga department of Human Settlements.
(b) During the 2014/15 financial year, the Mpumalanga Department of Human
Settlements has indicated that several systems are in place to ensure
that the Department spends the funds allocated and delivers on their
targets. Among the systems put in place include:
- Improved project planning, pipe-lining and implementation
- Improved project management and monitoring;
- Ensure contractors increased construction teams and capacity;
- Appointment of contractors with works and financial capacity;
The total allocation for Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlements
for the 2014/15 financial year is R1, 146 billion. Due to the
improvement in the Provinces spending, an additional R70 million has
been reallocated to the Province increasing the allocation to R1Â 216
billion. The additional R70 million was money re-allocated from
Limpopoâs HSDG. As at the end of February 2015, R1Â 111 billion had
been transferred to Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlements and
spending was R1 142 billion which is 103% of the transferred funds and
94% of its total allocation. The Province has committed to spend their
entire allocation.
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