Endumeni municipality was left with egg on its face when an oversight committee on housing from the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature described a report on housing projects in the municipal area as ‘a copy and paste effort’.
The Portfolio Committee was in Umzinyathi to inspect housing projects in the four municipal areas.
However, the report by acting technical services manager, Mzwandile Ntanzi, was lambasted by the members with Vivian Thambo claiming that ‘it is a bad report that undermines the MEC. The report must be re-written it is ‘amahluphuhluphu’ – disorganised’.
The committee was not impressed that the report did not include graphics. Some said this was the ‘worst report of its kind that they had seen’.
They demanded that the (acting) municipal manager and Mayor be accountable.
Another committee member, Linda Hlongwane-Madlala, told the meeting that she remembers ‘seeing the same report two years ago which proves it is just a copy and paste’. She added that an investigation should be conducted.

Mr Ntanzi said there were delays in some projects because ‘suppliers had to buy material from outside’.

“Some of the delays are also caused by sub contractors who are unskilled and have since abandoned the project. The contractor also has to contend with theft and vandalism on the site (in Sibongile).”
The committee also wanted to know how much money had been spent already and how much is left.
Important Mkhize, who chaired the meeting, applauded the report presented by Nquthu municipality. He described it as a ‘comprehensive report but which did not reflect the budget’.
The management of the beneficiaries – many of whom have not yet come forward to take ownership of their houses – was also a concern in Nquthu. The committee wanted to know what was being done to trace the beneficiaries. They also wanted to know what would be the way forward if they are not found and would that policy be applied to all municipalities.
Msinga Municipality was also congratulated for their report where R31 million had been budgeted for the houses and R24 million has already been spent. Housing challenges at this municipality resulted in contractors not being able to use some of the land allocated. However, the committee felt that the report was a bit thin on details.
Umvoti municipality was not present claiming that they were not informed of the meeting.
The committee ruled that Endumeni and Umvoti will have to face the music in Pietermaritzburg while Nquthu and Msinga must first ‘polish’ their reports and re-send to the portfolio committee.

Asked by the Courier about his report, Mr Ntanzi said ‘this was the first time I had to face such a committee and I was busy with auditors and I could not get time to prepare myself.’
Even when Mr Ntanzi requested the committee after the meeting to inspect the project, the committee refused. Instead, they went to Nondweni in the Nquthu municipal area to inspect the long-abandoned housing project there.