Ekurhuleni’s housing delivery has come under fire, with the DA accusing the municipality of poor spending and missed targets while the city disputes the claims and says it achieved most of its goals, reports Germiston City News.

The latest dispute follows a statement by DA City of Ekurhuleni Human Settlements spokesperson Alderman Mabekenyane Thamahane, who accused the Human Settlements Department of spending 104% of its budget during the 2025/26 financial year while achieving only 50% of its targets.

The DA says the figures point to poor financial management and inadequate service delivery as thousands of residents continue to wait for housing and several projects remain incomplete.

The party has previously raised concerns about the city’s housing crisis with the office of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the South African Human Rights Commission, calling for greater scrutiny of the housing backlog and alleged delivery failures.

Thamahane said projects including Clayville Extension 45, Thembisa Extension 27, the Six Hostels Redevelopment Programme, Airport Park and Palmfontein had either stalled or faced significant delays because of funding constraints.

The DA has also linked the housing challenges to what it describes as a broader financial crisis in the municipality, citing about R7.5b in municipal debt.

City disputes 104% expenditure claim

The City of Ekurhuleni has disputed the DA’s interpretation of its performance figures.

Responding to enquiries from Germiston City News, Human Settlements MMC Nsizwa Mekgwe said the 104% expenditure figure did not represent the department’s overall budget.

According to Mekgwe, the figure relates specifically to expenditure under the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant and should not be compared with the department’s overall performance.

“The city achieved 15 of its 18 annual targets, with only three not met. These included repairs and maintenance of rental stock, where it achieved 60% against a 95% target; refurbishment projects, where none of the four planned projects were implemented; and customer queries, where it achieved 87% against a 95% target,” Mekgwe said.

He attributed the missed targets to delays in finalising procurement and system glitches, maintaining that the city-wide targets were met or exceeded.

Thembisa project exposes deeper challenge

Despite the disagreement over the city’s overall performance, Thembisa Extension 27 highlights the challenges facing housing delivery.

Approximately R87 million of the project’s original R97 million budget has reportedly already been spent, while the development has remained incomplete since 2022.

Human Settlements MMC Nsizwa Mekgwe disputed the description of the project as stalled, saying work is currently underway.

He said the proclamation of Thembisa Extension 27 had recently been finalised and that a contractor was on site repairing and replacing infrastructure that had been stolen or vandalised while the project was inactive.

However, the city acknowledges that significant additional funding is still required.

“Approximately R78 million is required to complete the 500 housing units in the first phase,” Mekgwe said.

He said the city had not received the Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) required to construct the top structures. If the Gauteng provincial government approves the city’s request for additional funding, the 500 units could be completed within six months.

The DA has questioned how a project with an original budget of approximately R97 million now requires a further R78 million before the homes can be completed and handed over.

The city said structural assessments had been completed and that the cost of remedial work had been included in the estimated R78 million required to complete the 11 blocks. Cases relating to theft and vandalism have also been opened with the South African Police Service at Tembisa Police Station.

Dispute over stalled projects

The DA has identified several housing developments as examples of the city’s failure to deliver. The city, however, disputes the status of some of these projects.

On Clayville Extension 45, Mekgwe said the project was active.

“Construction of fencing and stormwater infrastructure was completed and handed over during the 2025/26 financial year. The project was subsequently handed over to Ekurhuleni Housing Company (EHC) for top-structure construction and further funding,” Mekgwe said.

The city also disputes the DA’s reference to a Palmfontein housing project, saying it does not have a project by that name.

Regarding the hostel redevelopment programme, Mekgwe said the city has five projects and that none are stalled.

“Kwa-Thema, Nguni and Thokoza are at stage 4, involving documentation, while Daveyton is at stage 5, implementation,” he said.

Contractor debt adds to pressure

While the city rejects the DA’s characterisation of its housing programme, it acknowledges that significant payments to contractors remain outstanding.

The city owes contractors approximately R29 million in debt from before the 2025/26 financial year, with a further R379 million owed for the 2025/26 financial year.

“The city is addressing the payment backlog,” Mekgwe said.

The DA argues that unpaid invoices have contributed to contractors abandoning sites, leaving incomplete developments vulnerable to theft and vandalism.

Mekgwe said additional security measures were being considered, with a council item expected to be tabled in August on retaining the function responsible for securing Human Settlements projects.

In the interim, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) has been asked to patrol vulnerable sites on a case-by-case basis.

Accountability remains unresolved

The dispute over housing delivery leaves residents caught between competing claims over targets, funding and project progress.

While the city maintains that most of its targets have been achieved and several projects are active, the DA points to incomplete developments and outstanding payments as evidence of ongoing failures in delivery.

For residents waiting for homes, the key question remains when stalled or delayed developments will be completed and when the promised houses will be handed over.

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