The MEC for Human Settlements, Traditional Affairs, and Cooperative Governance, Gaoage Oageng Molapisi, has promised to expeditiously arrange a meeting between North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi and the province’s military veterans. This undertaking follows a Provincial Imbizo on the Military Veterans Housing Programme held at Mogwase, Moses Kotane Municipality.
The Imbizo, held in line with the resolution of the Human Settlements MINMEC, provided feedback and information on the interventions approved by Cabinet to fast-track the delivery of adequate housing to Military Veterans. Key challenges affecting the programme include disagreements about approved plans by the Department of Military Veterans, locations where homes are built, qualifying criteria, untraceable members and beneficiaries, and a lack of serviced sites amongst others . This is despite veterans of the armed forces being either homeless, living with their families, or living in unfavourable conditions as a result of the programme’s poor performance.
Before the start of the Imbizo, MEC Molapisi handed over three (03) completed houses to Military Veterans at Mabele-Pudi Village and Bapong.
Addressing the Imbizo, MEC Molapisi urged the veterans to exercise patience as the government works in their best interest. He said that as a caring government, they recognise the sacrifices of military veterans towards achievement of democracy and freedom.
“I will personally facilitate the meeting between the departments and the Premier to address your challenges. We are aware of most of them, and we are more than willing to address them.”
According to military veterans, most of their challenges emanate from mistreatment from government officials, as most of their calls are not answered, their applications take forever to be processed and the fact that they do not want to be served by people who have never been in the military, as they would not understand their plight. Members also reflected that some of the municipalities allocate stands where they do not want to live with their families.
The MEC further promised to engage with municipalities through the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) to encourage them to also address their needs, such as the provision of service sites for the construction of houses. He said that the Department of Human Settlements should also ensure that they make provision for those who are still in service and earning more and are not qualifying for the houses through the First Home Finance Programme. Other resolutions made by the MEC were to engage the Department of Public Works to avail properties that are no longer in use.
“To track and monitor progress, the Military Veterans Housing Programme will now be discussed at MUNIMEC meetings, where I interact with municipalities on a range of issues about service delivery. As our liberators, I pledge to do everything in my power to make sure you get what you deserve, and I will use the departmental budget speech to further address your concerns. There will be less talk and more action this time,” MEC Molapisi said.
END
Issued by the Department of Human Settlements (North West)
Enquiries:
Ms Dineo Lolokwane: Director: Corporate Communications & ICT
Tel no.: (018) 388 2081
Cell no: 083 376 9400
Email: dlolokwane@nwpg.gov.za
OR
Mr Lerato Gambu
Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 076 322 11 65
Email: lgambu@nwpg.gov.za
