Nelson Mandela Bay Aims for 40% Spending of R361M Grant for Informal Settlements

The Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Human Settlements, Thembinkosi Mafana, emphasized the importance of aligning spending with the quality of work and adhering to set timelines.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is intensifying efforts to allocate 40% of the R361 million Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant (ISUPG) to enhance essential service delivery and curb underspending. The Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Human Settlements, Thembinkosi Mafana, emphasized the importance of aligning spending with the quality of work and adhering to set timelines.

“We aim to ensure that at least 40% of the allocated funds are spent by the December 2024 break, allowing us to accelerate performance when we reopen in January,” Mafana stated.

This week, the standing committee conducted site visits to various projects funded under the ISUPG, including the R15 million fencing of the Arlington Landfill Site and R50 million earmarked for housing delivery. The visits also covered infrastructure projects, such as roads, stormwater management, and the electrification of shacks and temporary housing.

The ISUPG encompasses a range of initiatives aimed at improving human settlements, including site servicing, relocating communities from vulnerable areas, and providing essential services like water, electricity, and sanitation, as well as developing parks for a safer, more sustainable environment.

Mafana underscored that the municipality's responsibilities extend beyond merely approving budgets. “We must ensure thorough monitoring of spending, quality of work, and adherence to timeframes,” he noted.

He added that site visits will become a regular part of the Human Settlements standing committee's oversight activities in the upcoming financial year. “Our people are living in distress in flood plains and other unlivable conditions; we must act swiftly to relocate them and provide a decent quality of life,” the MMC asserted.

In the previous financial year, the metro was allocated R333 million and successfully spent R317 million within the designated timeframe. During Tuesday’s site visits, the standing committee examined projects in areas including Kariega, furthering their commitment to effective service delivery.