The North West Human Settlement Department is grappling with the consequences of 76 unfinished housing projects, some of which have been stagnant for a decade. These projects account for a total of 8,746 incomplete houses scattered throughout the province. To address the issue, the department has allocated R52 million for the upcoming 2023/24 financial year to ensure the completion of these homes.
One area heavily affected by the abandoned housing projects is Ventersdorp in the JB Marks Local Municipality within the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District. Numerous incomplete housing developments can be found in Ventersdorp’s Toevlugs and Tshing areas.
Beneficiaries of these projects are pleading for government intervention, expressing frustration with the contractors’ delays and lack of assistance. Some residents have resorted to using corrugated iron on window frames due to the incomplete nature of the houses. Others are burdened by rental expenses, as the money that could have been used for mortgage installments is being spent on temporary accommodation while waiting for their houses to be completed.
Another affected area is Bray in the Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality, where a housing project initiated in 2013 remains half-finished. Some houses lack essential components such as window frames, roofing, and doors, with only foundations in place. Human Settlements MEC Nono Maloyi has pledged to employ new contractors to finalize the dwellings, emphasizing decisive intervention to address the long-standing issue of incomplete houses in the province.