NORTH WEST — Residents are expressing growing frustration over stalled housing projects in the North West, prompting the provincial Department of Human Settlements to allocate over R1.1 billion to resolve the long-delayed developments. The crisis has left thousands waiting for basic shelter, with the Mofufutso village housing project emerging as a primary example of the province’s delivery challenges.
Nearly 70 Stalled Housing Projects Plague the Province
Across the province’s various municipalities, almost 70 housing projects—specifically 69 identified developments—remain at a standstill. Some of these stalled initiatives date back more than a decade, leaving beneficiaries in limbo.
The Mofufutso village housing project is among the 69 stalled developments in the region. Initially designed to deliver 400 houses, the original contractor managed to complete just over 100 units before the project stalled a few years ago, around 2020. Despite promises from the provincial Department of Human Settlements to unblock the project this year, progress has yet to materialize, leaving residents fuming.
While some community members maintain hope that their RDP houses will eventually be built, others have lost faith entirely due to the lack of visible change on the ground. Beneficiaries note that despite appearing on official waiting lists, not even a foundation slab has been laid for their units, and repeated promises during community meetings have gone unfulfilled.
Procurement Delays and Construction Mafia Extortion
A spokesperson for the Department of Human Settlements explained that the delays are driven by a complex mix of systemic and external challenges. Primarily, the department cites a lack of financial and technical capacity among certain contractors to complete projects on schedule. Furthermore, the sector has been severely hampered by community unrest, sub-contractor labour disputes, and aggressive extortion demands from construction mafias.
Administrative hurdles have also compounded the issue. The department had initially planned to appoint a new contractor to resume work at Mofufutso village in November 2025 by utilizing its internal database of pre-qualified contractors. However, a spokesperson for the department noted that the Auditor-General and the provincial treasury raised concerns regarding this specific sourcing strategy. Consequently, the department was forced to abandon the pre-qualified database and initiate a full open tender process, which has caused further delays in appointing a replacement contractor for the new financial year.
Poor Workmanship Fuels Resident Frustration
Beyond the delays, the projects that did see partial completion are now marred by severe quality issues. Beneficiaries of the already built houses at Mofufutso village are demanding that the incoming contractor repair extensive structural defects and poor workmanship.
Residents report that the initial construction quality was highly substandard. One beneficiary highlighted that the roofing is so poorly installed that water leaks into the home during wind and rain, forcing them to place bricks on the roof to weigh down the sheets. Others pointed out that the paint and cement used are of inferior quality, rendering the houses uninhabitable. Frustrated homeowners, who have not been able to live in their completed units for years, are pleading with the government to ensure they are included in the scope of work for the new contractor to fix these structural failures.
R1.1 Billion Intervention to Unblock Projects
In a major financial intervention to address the backlog, the provincial Department of Human Settlements has resolved to dedicate over R1.1 billion to tackle the stalled projects. According to a department spokesperson, this massive injection represents 80% of the department’s total human settlements development grant allocation for the current financial year.
The department remains committed to unblocking these critical projects in the new financial year, hoping that the revised open tender process and substantial financial backing will finally deliver the promised homes to the waiting residents.
