The Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, Lindiwe Sisulu has called on the Provinces to utilize the R13.4 billion allocated to them to improve quality service delivery on the ground during the financial year 2021/2022. This after the National Department of Human Settlements revealed in its preliminary expenditure report for the first quarter (April to June 2021) that R3.3 billion against the target of R4.2 billion has been transferred to the Provinces.
In addressing the multiple socio-economic challenges and ensuring the real needs of poor communities are met, the Provinces must deliver on their set planned targets, spend their budget allocations to provide affordable housing opportunities and avoid a situation in which some of their resources are reallocated to other well performing Provinces. Minister Sisulu has appealed and encouraged Provinces to ensure that they deliver on what is expected of them.
The Minister has further directed the Director-General Mbulelo Tshangana and the Chief Financial Officer, Ms Funani Matlatsi to meet with all Provinces which are showing signs that they may not be able to spend their budget allocations. This intervention is aimed at ensuring that all the Provinces deliver on their mandated human settlements annual targets. During the past financial year an amount of R588 million had to be reallocated to other Provinces.
Over the years the Department has exercised oversight in ensuring that the budget allocation is spent accordingly. Some of the measures which have been implemented include reallocating funds from poor performing Provinces to high performing ones which had the ability to absorb additional funds. The Provinces which had benefited include KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
Minister Sisulu also called on stakeholders in the human settlements sector including implementing agents, contractors and community members to work together with the department to improve the quality of life of poor South Africans and deliver housing opportunities to the neediest.
