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This morning, 10 January 2019, the Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Herman Mashaba will visit Riverside Housing Project, where the completion of 1 485 RDP units will be stalled due to the Gauteng Provincial Government’s irrational decision to reduce of the City’s Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) funding. Mayor Mashaba will be accompanied by MMC for Housing, Councillor Meshack van Wyk.
HSDG funding from the Provincial Government has suddenly been reduced by R180 million from the R248 million initially allocated at the beginning of the financial year. It is critical that the residents of the City of Johannesburg are made aware of the impact of this irrational decision upon our most vulnerable communities.
The City of Johannesburg has exhausted the inter-governmental relations framework in attempting to engage MEC Moiloa, Premier Makhura, Minister Nomaindia Mfeketo and President Ramaphosa on this decision to reduce its HSDG. These efforts have been ignored outright.
The City has now appointed external lawyers as we are of the view that we have no option other than to approach the courts on an urgent basis to challenge this irrational decision and fight for the most vulnerable in our City.
The decision to reduce Johannesburg’s HSDG comes on the back of the City spending 98% of its Housing Capital Budget last year, and having contractors on the ground busy with construction. The decision is clearly irrational, and informed by political considerations rather than the interests of the 300 000 people who form part of the Housing backlog inherited by the multi-party government.
Mayor Mashaba invites the media to join him as he visit the site in Riverside under construction. There will be an opportunity for pictures and interviews with Mayor Mashaba.
The details of the event are as follows:
Date: 10 January 2019
Time: 10:00
The site is just over a kilometre from the Makro Riversands.
Media queries:
Andile Ndlovu
Media Specialist: Office of the Executive Mayor
Email: andilend@joburg.org.za
Call: 081 417 1871 OR 011 407 7334
