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IOL News
15 hours ago
- General
- IOL News
Thubalethu housing project faces delays and financial mismanagement in KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal's Thubalethu housing project, which has seen R100 million spent since 2017, remains incomplete, raising concerns over delays, financial mismanagement, and the lack of essential infrastructure. Image: Supplied KwaZulu-Natal's housing woes continue to mount, with R100 million spent since 2017 on the incomplete Thubalethu housing project in Mthonjaneni Municipality (Melmoth). Continued delays, escalating costs, and an incomplete delivery of the project are cause for concern, said Riona Gokool, the Democratic Alliance spokesperson on Human Settlements, on Thursday. According to Gokool, Phase 1A has seen 166 units completed and occupied, while an additional 270 houses in Phase 1B remain incomplete and unsecured. She said that basic fittings such as plumbing, electricity, doors, and ceilings have not been installed due to fears of theft and vandalism, with more than 430 houses only partially constructed to roof level. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading In addition, key infrastructure remains absent, with not a single cent of the R60 million allocated for bulk water infrastructure spent to date 'Equally, sewer systems, a reservoir, road access, and a sufficient electricity supply are all either incomplete or delayed. This is while local and district municipalities have cited financial constraints and poor planning coordination,' she stated. Gokool said that the project initially approved in 2012 to eradicate informal settlements has become yet another example of a 'blocked project', a distressing term that has become all too common in South Africa's housing landscape. Gokool called for: Full transparency from the KZN's DHS regarding all contracts, expenditure, and progress on the Thubalethu project. An audit and consequence management process for delays and any possible financial mismanagement. Acceleration of bulk infrastructure rollout, particularly water, sewer, and electricity connections. Engagement with local communities to prevent further vandalism and to involve beneficiaries in safeguarding the site. According to a report presented to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Human Settlements Portfolio Committee, the housing project experienced various challenges that have hindered progress, with many of these being addressed or are currently being addressed. Continuous delays in the completion of the project have resulted in vandalism and theft. According to the report: The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) and engineers identified non-compliance on some sites with specific reference to water seepage and retaining walls. The current electrical power for Thubalethu Township is not sufficient for the whole area of Melmoth. The current area of Thubalethu and its surrounding areas does not have enough water, and the water scheme to source water from Phobane Dam i s under way, but will reach the town of Melmoth and Thubalethu Township in four to eight years from 2021. In June 2023, a Crack Team was formed by the KZN DHS to identify, resolve, and report on all matters that are causing the project to stall. The team identified funding as a challenge for the design of the water purification plant. The finding was that the water borehole was level 2 and therefore needed to be purified to consumable level 0.
The Citizen
13-06-2025
- The Citizen
Condolences extended to KZN light aircraft crash victims' families
THE DA in KZN has called for a probe into the circumstances that led to the light aircraft crash in the Midlands earlier this week. The tragedy claimed the lives of all three occupants aboard the aircraft. According to reports, the aircraft disappeared on Sunday, after departing from Virginia Airport in Durban. ALSO READ: Search for missing aircraft ends in tragedy On Monday, the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre confirmed it had located the aircraft crash site. The DA said it is deeply saddened by the incident and extends heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the deceased. 'The loss of a young student pilot – who was reportedly operating the aircraft – is particularly devastating, as it represents not only the end of a promising future, but also a loss to South Africa's aviation sector,' said the party. ALSO READ: CIT heist causes havoc on N2 KZN DA Spokesperson on Transport Riona Gokool commended the efforts of all emergency personnel and search and rescue teams who worked tirelessly to locate the missing aircraft. 'Their dedication and professionalism in the face of adversity must be acknowledged and appreciated,' said Gokool. Gokool added that Transport MEC Siboniso Duma confirmed that the matter will be handed over to the SAPS Accident and Incident Investigation Division and the South African Civil Aviation Authority for an official investigation. 'As part of KZN's GPU, the DA is committed to closely monitoring this process. We believe particular attention must be paid to the role that adverse weather conditions, pilot training, flight planning and aircraft condition may have played,' said Gokool. 'The findings of this investigation must inform immediate steps to strengthen aviation safety standards and ensure such tragedies are not repeated. 'As a nation, we must honour the memory of those lost by demanding accountability, learning from this incident, and by putting robust measures in place to protect all who take to our skies,' said Gokool. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
30-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Klein Boesmans River Bridge construction in KwaZulu-Natal: R29 million spent, yet incomplete
The construction of the Klein Boesmans River Bridge in Wembezi, KwaZulu-Natal, is incomplete despite R29 million being spent on the project by contractors. The project was supposed to be completed in May 2021. Image: Riona Gokool / Supplied The construction of the Klein Boesmans River Bridge in Wembezi, KwaZulu-Natal, is incomplete despite R29 million being spent on the project by contractors. The KZN Legislature Transport Portfolio Committee conducted an inspection of the site on Wednesday to find the construction area deserted. The project began in 2020 and was scheduled for completion in May 2021. The committee said that to date, only 65% of the project is completed. Mncedisi Maphisa, the portfolio committee chairperson, said that according to the contractual agreement, the construction period to complete the job would be 15 months. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Maphisa said the site had since been deserted and there is no progress, which triggered the committee to visit the bridge in a mission to find answers from the provincial Transport Department, municipality, and contractors. 'The committee holds a firm view that these delays are unwarranted and result in unnecessary slow-pacing of service delivery. The first meeting was held at Department of Transport Cost Centre in Estcourt and the delegation then proceeded to Wembezi for physical assessment of the bridge, to be furnished with reasons as to why this project has taken this long to finish, and also to ascertain what the department has in store to ensure that this project is completed,' Maphisa said. The KZN Legislature Transport Portfolio Committee conducted an inspection of the site on Wednesday. Image: KZN Legislature Riona Gokool, MPL and Democratic Alliance KZN spokesperson on Transport, said there must be full accountability, and that the DA stood with the affected communities to demand that public money be used to serve the public interest, not the pockets of failing contractors and indifferent officials. 'The residents of Zwelisha and surrounding areas deserve proper service delivery. They do not deserve to watch as tens of millions of rand are poured into a pit of incompetence and neglect,' Gokool said. She added that this was gross mismanagement, a lack of oversight, and accountability from officials. 'The delays and abandonment have left residents stranded without a critical transport link, cutting off access to schools, health care, and economic opportunities,' she said. Gokool said the department's internal report reads like a case study in failure. 'A contractor plagued by cash flow issues, construction delays exacerbated by avoidable mistakes, and an apparent breakdown in contract management and supervision. Excuses such as Covid-19 and weather conditions do not justify years of stagnation, nor do they absolve the department from failing to take decisive action sooner,' Gokool said. Recently, the committee inspected the uMdloti River Bridge project in the Ndwedwe area, revealing staggering levels of mismanagement, incompetence, and neglect of a critical infrastructure project, said Gokool. The committee found that despite construction having been under way for over eight years, only 44% of the work was complete as of April 2025 Construction of the uMdloti bridge has now dragged on since 2016, yet to date, it remains incomplete.
