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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini rejects the outdated and insufficient progress reports tabled during a committee meeting last week.

These reports, which date back to June 2024, fail to address critical concerns regarding the status of several housing projects, including the Namibia Stop 8 Housing Project, uMbhayi Housing Project, and Banana City Housing Project.

Despite repeated calls for updated reports, the DA has yet to receive accurate and timeous information on the projects. All three of these projects are significantly overdue and riddled with irregularities, putting taxpayers’ money at risk.

The Auditor-General (AG) has already raised serious concerns regarding the lack of proper oversight and instances of overpayments in these projects, especially with regards to the Namibia Stop 8. The AG's findings highlight the need for immediate attention and action to address these ongoing issues.

Namibia Stop 8 Housing Project:

Originally funded with R99 million, the Namibia Stop 8 Housing Project was further allocated R49 million 20 months ago, with an additional 18-month extension granted. This extension expired on 18 December 2024. Despite this, the project received an extra R5.8 million from another project in January, despite the contract having expired.

A recent site visit conducted by the DA three weeks ago confirmed that, to date, only 74 houses have been completed out of the 343 that were due for completion by 18 December 2025. This raises serious concerns about the financial management, efficiency, and oversight of the project.

uMbhayi Housing Project:

The uMbhayi Housing Project has seen no progress, despite a contract being awarded. The only activity on-site so far has been the removal of weeds. This lack of progress is unacceptable and demonstrates an ongoing failure to deliver housing for the people of eThekwini.

Banana City Housing Project:

The Banana City Housing Project has been a chaotic and slow-moving disaster. The Municipality rehired a former employee who had been fired due to underperformance on a project that is now three years overdue. This is a glaring example of the failure to hold individuals accountable and ensure that taxpayer money is being used effectively.

The DA will continue to fight for transparency, accountability, and proper oversight in all housing projects. The ANC/EFF-led Municipality may claim to be the champions of the poor, but under their leadership, ratepayers’ money is being misused, and essential housing projects remain unfinished.

The DA will continue to fight until the people of eThekwini get the homes they deserve.

Issued by Councillor Zamani Khuzwayo - DA eThekwini Councillor