DURBAN - KwaDukuza residents, waiting for new homes, may be in for a long wait as the municipality has revealed that some of its housing projects are being hamstrung by several changes.
The challenges include contractors abandoning the site, building in environmentally sensitive areas and illegal buildings that impact the layout of the development.
The KwaDukuza Municipality released details of the status of the housing projects at a councillors’ meeting recently. The councillors were briefed on the progress of the projects and possible solutions to challenges they are faced with.
KwaDukuza mayor Lindile Nhaca expressed the importance of sharing information and collaborating with stakeholders in the implementation of the human settlement project.
“Local government has a mandate to work with various stakeholders to provide communities with adequate access to housing. This requires councillors to take reasonable measures and added commitments to make this possible.”
Those in attendance expressed a need to accelerate the turn-around time for the delivery of housing projects and committed to working with implementing agents.
A summary report revealed that there are at least 14 projects underway in the municipality, and many are hampered by different challenges.
For instance, the report states that a project in the Groutville area has more than 2000 approved beneficiaries is progressing slowly.
It was delayed by a land dispute, and a new contractor had to be appointed after the old one abandoned the site.
THE MERCURY