The Department of Human Settlements recognises the critical role that collaboration between municipalities and the department plays in creating integrated, resilient communities that align with the principles of economic growth, social harmony, and environmental stewardship. The department has engaged in extensive analysis to identify barriers to effective collaboration. These include:
(a) Organisational barriers:
- Capacity constraints: Many municipalities face challenges with adequate technical and human resource capacity, which affects their ability to plan and implement housing and settlement projects effectively.
- Coordination issues: Misalignment in planning cycles and priorities between municipalities and the department often leads to delays and inefficiencies.
- Information and data sharing: Limited integration of data systems hinders comprehensive planning and monitoring efforts. The integration relies on data security which ensures that data is protected from unauthorized access during transmission and storage. Data accuracy and integrity also affect the data sharing environment because shared data must remain accurate and unaltered for reliable decision making.
(b) Political barriers:
- There are currently no political barriers, government priorities remain the same irrespective of political changes.
- The Minister holds community Izimbizo to follow-up on the matters raised by the community.
(c) Financial barriers:
- Budgetary constraints: Municipalities often face financial limitations, which impede their ability to co-fund or independently initiate projects that align with national strategies.
- Conditional grants and underutilization: Challenges in accessing or fully utilizing conditional grants allocated for housing development can delay project implementation.
- Dependency on transfers: Overreliance on national transfers with limited local revenue generation reduces flexibility for municipalities to address specific housing needs.
The department remains committed to address these barriers and foster collaboration with municipalities, ensuring the effective realization of human settlement goals that contribute to sustainable, resilient communities.
