eThekwini council rejects ActionSA's housing transparency proposal

The ongoing struggle for fairness in housing allocations within eThekwini Municipality has taken a contentious turn following the council's resounding rejection of ActionSA's proposals aimed at publicising the National Housing Needs Register (NHNR).

This refusal raised serious concerns regarding the potential for fraud and corruption in the distribution of public housing.

The National Housing Needs Register (NHNR) is a centralised database developed by the National Department of Human Settlements and formally promulgated by the Minister of Human Settlements in July 2014.

Since its inception, the NHNR has been piloted in several metropolitan and district municipalities across Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and Limpopo.

On Tuesday, the municipality's council, resolved to adopt the NHNR for housing allocation purposes within the entity.

ActionSA leader Zwakele Mncwango has long argued that residents endure long waits for housing, only to find that properties are often handed over to officials' relatives or political connected people instead of deserving applicants.

“Many of our residents apply for public housing and patiently wait for their turn, only to discover the unfortunate reality that some of these houses are given to friends and political allies of officials,” Mncwango noted.

He believes that making the NHNR publicly accessible would allow residents to track their applications effectively, which, in turn, would ensure greater accountability from the municipality.

The intention, Mncwango explained, was to protect the rights of applicants and promote transparency in the often opaque processes surrounding housing allocations.

Despite the importance of such a proposal in the eyes of ActionSA, the amendment met stiff opposition, particularly from the ANC, the DA, and the IFP.

Mncwango expressed his disappointment, stating, “It is deeply concerning that parties which claim to fight for the poor and vulnerable would refuse to support a measure designed to curb corruption and protect beneficiaries.”

In response, IFP leader Mdu Nkosi rejected Mncwango’s characterisation of the proposal as out of order, saying that it misaligned with the local government's policy framework.

"We can’t allow ActionSA to mislead us.

It is wrong for him to want to amend National Government policy; hence, we said as the IFP we can’t support such an amendment,” Nkosi explained.

The ANC's spokesperson, Thinta Cibane, countered claims made by ActionSA as misleading and opportunistic, asserting that the party upholds the right to adequate housing as per the Constitution.

"Our position in Council is informed by the need to balance transparency with the protection of personal information, in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)," Cibane stated.

He also warned against the "reckless publication of names without context," which could lead to the stigmatisation and misuse of citizens’ data.

Cibane reaffirmed that the ANC in eThekwini remained committed to combating corruption in housing allocation and encouraged residents with legitimate complaints to report them to the Municipality’s Integrity and Investigations Unit or law enforcement authorities.

"Cheap politicking and grandstanding do not build houses; responsible governance does," he added.

Thabani Mthethwa, DA caucus leader, dismissed ActionSA’s claims as intentionally misleading.

He clarified that when ActionSA attempted to amend the recommendations, legal advice deemed the amendment incompetent, which led to no voting on the matter.

“There was no voting on the issue,” Mthethwa concluded.

DAILY NEWS