WHILE the City of uMhlathuze was praised for its efforts in providing service delivery – specifically low cost housing – in rural parts, it needs plans to deal with informal settlements in its urban areas.
That was the message from Chief Operations Officer, Mdu Zungu of the KZN Department of Human Settlements in an address to Exco on Tuesday morning.
He said a delegation will visit the City next week to discuss the way to deal with its informal settlements and ‘slum clearance’.
The Exco meeting had been opened with a message to matrics from Mayor Elphas Mbatha followed by a word of condolence and moment of silence for slain SA football captain, Senzo Meyiwa.
Referring to the City as ‘a Metro in the making’, Zungu said it was important to align service delivery plans with the Department’s provincial and national housing objectives.
‘We will support your IDP projects but we will only accept homes that have all the bulk services.
‘The days of houses being built without toilets, sanitation, electricity and running water are over,’ warned Zungu, adding that subsidies would also be available to buyers.
He also urged the need to ensure that housing lists were properly managed, as the names of older persons were being replaced by those of younger people.
Title deeds should also be issued as swiftly as possible, he said.
