Maintaining transparency between government spheres is of absolute importance

While it is a relief to have a local government partner who takes the initiative in accelerating the delivery of services, it can also be discomforting when these initiatives are not within legislated policy framework. Previous instances have shown how costly such actions can be in the delivery of vital services to residents.

I refer to the media statement issued by the Theewaterskloof Municipality (TWK) on 27 May 2024, titled "THEEWATERSKLOOF MUNICIPALITY APPOINTS THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (HDA) IN LANDMARK MOVE TO ACCELERATE HOUSING DELIVERY AND PROJECTS.”

I have subsequently written to the office of the Mayor of TWK Municipality to seek clarity regarding this appointment. Furthermore, I want to understand the details of how such a decision was taken without consulting the provincial department, which is the custodian of oversight for all housing developments in the province, including the housing function as per the concurrent function between the National and Provincial spheres.

The Western Cape Government prioritises the emancipation of local government, as this enables the acceleration of delivering adequate services to the residents of this province. The leadership of the human settlements branch in my department has engaged with the TWK municipality on nine separate occasions between November 2022 and February 2024 to ensure that we assist the municipality in advancing the delivery of housing opportunities. It is well documented that due to political instability in the past, TWK has not been functioning optimally in serve of our citizens.

The media statement of May 27 by the TWK municipality listed six projects to be delivered between 2024 and 2027. I can, however, categorically confirm that only one of these projects is under way, and at a lesser scale than reported, with at least three in the infancy of planning and one that is not in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) Business Plan.

I am concerned about the inaccurate information in the media statement. While the country is on the verge of elections, we should refrain from creating false hope for the residents.

The Western Cape Department of Infrastructure will always endeavor to emancipate our partners in the local government sphere as we seek to create an enabling environment that benefits all residents.