THE long awaited relocation of people to the Donnelly Road flats has raised many questions as many are still waiting to be moved into the new homes.

This year the R52m housing project was hit by controversy after residents from the Convent decided to move to the flats without following the municipal allocation process.

At this stage the Community Residential Unit (CRU) project in Ward 66 has not been officially handed over to the beneficiaries, pending eThekwini Municipality’s approval.

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Following an unauthorised occupation, officials from Human Settlements and the eThekwini Municipality removed residents who allegedly occupied the flats illegally.

During a recent visit, chairperson of the City’s Human Settlements, Engineering, and Transport Authority Committee, Themba Mvubu, was impressed with the progress made on key Community Residential Unit (CRU) projects valued at over R111m.

Mvubu conducted an oversight visit to the Donnelly Road, KwaMakhutha, and uMlazi T CRU projects on November 18 to assess progress and address challenges.

He noted that the municipality is making significant progress on all three projects, with only a few minor challenges experienced.

“The R52m Donnelly Road Housing project, aiming at providing affordable housing in the south of Durban, bordering Wentworth and the Bluff, is now 80% complete. Upon completion, the project will yield 128 units,” said Mvubu.

The project involved transforming dilapidated units into 76 modern community residential units (CRUs), designed to offer improved privacy and comfortable living conditions. It was completed in June 2024.

Spokesperson for eThekwini Municipality Gugu Sisilana said the process is handled with transparency and fairness, adhering strictly to policy.

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“In July 2024, inspectors from the eThekwini Water Directorate found that the installation of water meters was not compliant with approved standards. This required corrective works that were not provided for in the original project budget,” said Sisilana in a statement.

The municipality said the allocations must comply with National Credit Regulations, and it must avoid placing households in a position where they cannot afford to stay.

“With 76 units now available, the allocation process will prioritise the original list of 64 households. The balance will be sourced from the greater eThekwini housing needs register, ensuring fairness and transparency.

“The municipality rejects in the strongest terms any allegations of manipulation. Every allocation follows a strict, transparent policy framework designed to protect the integrity of the City’s housing programme. The Municipality is working tirelessly to conclude the allocation process within the shortest possible timeframe,” Sisilana added.

Mvubu said these additional works inevitably caused delays.

“The technical issues have been resolved, but the allocation process faced social challenges. Of the 64 original beneficiaries from the site, some raised concerns during final verification, claiming they had already been approved in earlier phases,” said Mvubu.

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He emphasised that the municipality understands the frustrations of the community, and that verifications are a critical safeguard to ensure fairness and compliance with housing policy.

“We must confirm that all beneficiaries still meet the requirements before finalising allocations. As a rental housing project, Donnelly Road units are priced at R850 for one-bedroom and R1 800 for two-bedroom units. Affordability and right-sizing tests are applied to ensure tenants can sustain payments and are matched to suitable unit types,” said Mvubu.

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