Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has reiterated that they are working to revive stalled projects due to construction mafia and delays by construction companies.
Kubayi said in some cases, officials have been probed by the Special Investigating Unit for alleged corruption in tenders, and they have taken disciplinary action against them.
In some of the cases, some officials have been arrested for alleged graft in the department and charged in court.
Kubayi, who was part of the Ministers in the Social Services cluster answering questions in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday, said there were many stalled projects that they identified.
These projects were stopped because of, among others, shoddy work by companies, the construction mafia, and community unrest.
She said they have worked with provinces to identify housing projects that could be revived.
The minister said in some cases construction companies were paid millions of rands, but never finished housing projects.
This leaves the department frustrated, and this adds to the growing list of incomplete projects.
Kubayi said in 2021 they took a decision to unlock all housing projects that had been stalled.
“Over the years, experience has taught us projects get blocked for various reasons, which include but are not limited to the following: poor performance of contractors, some of whom would have abandoned sites; lack of bulk infrastructure and linked services; illegal land occupation; geotech variation; construction mafia; and community unrest.
“The diagnostic report revealed the following: as of the end of June 2022, there were 3,445 blocked projects that we had identified. A total of 2,872 of the identified projects had to be closed off once provinces had concluded a reconciliation process that ensured that all the targeted outputs were satisfied. With the status of the 2,872 projects clarified, the department of human settlements working together with provinces reached a consensus on unblocking 192 projects and those are at various stages of construction and we are monitoring," said Kubayi.
Kubayi said they were also acting against officials who were found to have been involved in stalled projects.
She said some of the officials who were involved in corruption in the Free State are in court.
These officials were identified by the SIU for their alleged involvement in corruption.
Kubayi also urged members of the public to blow the whistle on corruption in the department.
Politics