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Montrose mega housing project beneficiaries in Randfontein are forced to continue living in inhumane, unsanitary, and undignified conditions because of a dispute between the previous developer and the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS). There are no timelines and budget allocated to complete the project.

During the recent oversight inspection of the Housing Project, residents informed the Democratic Alliance (DA) that they have been allocated housing units at this development project and are ready to take occupancy.

However, the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Tasneem Motara, appearing before the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, indicated that Montrose might take some time to complete because the department and the previous developer still need to reach an agreement. She further stated that the department does not have enough money to complete the project as the bulk services alone will cost more than R8 billion. The project has incurred a cost of R467 million since its inception.

This is one of many examples of the department's failures to deliver decent housing for the people of Gauteng. It is unacceptable that such a significant amount of money has been spent on a housing project that neither the MEC nor the department can guarantee will be completed. The blame lies squarely on the department for hiring an incompetent developer who has failed to deliver and is now holding this project to ransom.

The DA reiterates its call for an urgent forensic investigation into all Mega Housing Projects in the province to determine why projects such as Montrose have taken this long to complete and whether failing contractors have been held accountable for their failure to deliver and whether the money can be recouped.

The DA will continue to expose this department's failures, making sure that it is held accountable for every wasted cent meant to alleviate the housing crisis in Gauteng.

Issued by Evert Du Plessis MPL - DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Human Settlements