The Limpopo government will increase the number of human settlements in the fast-growing towns as well as the Special Economic Zone areas of Tubatse and Musina-Makhado.
This is according to Makoma Makhurupetje, the MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), who says that both the volume and the quality of delivery across the province must be increased.
”We will ensure that our housing delivery spreads across growth towns and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as part of the department’s endeavour to meet the target of delivering 80 000 housing opportunities by 2019,” says MEC Makhurupetje.
Declared by the Premier of Limpopo, Stan Mathabatha, and the Department of Trade and Industry as a special economic zone, Tubatse SEZ was allocated R40 million to be spent on housing around the area.
“The Musina-Makhado SEZ has been allocated R40 million to secure 900 sites during the 2017/2018 financial year,” says MEC Makhurupetje.
“The department will also provide an additional R100 million to be spent on housing and additional land over the next three years to support envisaged growth in this SEZ.”
MEC Makhurupetje says additional land will be identified at the Musina and Makhado areas to dovetail the envisaged growth and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) with 20 800 jobs to be created through the SEZ.
“In the coming months, we will work with the municipalities that have consistently obtained unqualified audit results to help them deal with the outstanding issues to attain a clean audit,” says MEC Makhurupetje.
“Furthermore, in line with the priorities of phase two of the back-to-basics programme, the department will give special attention to municipalities receiving disclaimers.”
MEC Makhurupetje says in order for the department to achieve this, they will do it in partnership with the Provincial Treasury and the Auditor General.
She says she acknowledged the high debts to Eskom and to water boards, and that it remains a concern of the department.
“I want to make a serious call to all municipalities to pay their debts with Eskom, water boards and other service providers without fail,” says MEC Makhurupetje.
“We plead with our sister departments to pay municipalities what is due to them, municipalities as well are encouraged to clean their billing systems.” – SAnews.gov.za-TLM