Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, has confirmed that the government has completed its impact assessment on the recent floods, specifically focusing on the disaster in Limpopo and Mpumalanga earlier this year.

Simelane was responding to a question raised by ANC's MP Baakiseng Mabebo in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) regarding the impact of recent floods.

Mabebo had asked whether an impact assessment of the recent floods in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal had already been conducted; if not, why not; and if so, sought clarity on the associated cost implications.

Simelane assured members that despite the assessment being finalised, challenges continue to arise as the situation evolves, especially with the recent heavy rains in Limpopo over the weekend, which led to further infrastructure damage.

Simelane elaborated on the steps taken by the government, noting that the disaster grant system has been allocated to national authorities, and provinces have been granted the flexibility to use between 1% to 3% of the funds for emergency responses.

However, she acknowledged that the unpredictable nature of disasters, such as the floods in January, makes ongoing assessment critical.

In particular, Simelane mentioned that her team is actively looking into areas where provinces are still struggling with the aftermath of the floods, highlighting that the assessment process is ongoing, despite the report being considered "complete."

“We've undertaken assessments in affected areas like Tshakhuma , where families have been living too close to rivers. We are now looking into relocating these households, a measure that is not new but has become even more urgent in light of recent disasters,” said Simelane.

She also pointed out that some of the areas, including those in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, have long been identified as vulnerable, with families at risk of being affected by further flooding.

Simelane stressed the need for the government to take preemptive action, citing the previous tragedies where communities living near rivers, such as the uMlazi River, had been wiped out. “In Umlazi, for example, we cannot afford to have people who are still at risk when we know the dangers,” she said.

"We are actively working to prevent such fatalities and have already started moving families in danger to safer locations."

Simelane explained the government's plans to relocate households from flood-prone areas like Umlazi, using mitigation strategies to avoid future casualties.

The government has already taken steps to address this issue, employing mitigation strategies to move residents to safer locations and ensure that no fatalities occur in the future.

Simelane further acknowledged the role of the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) in assessing housing infrastructure, both for government-built houses and those constructed by individuals. The council’s involvement is crucial, particularly in provinces like the Eastern Cape, where the majority of homes are built with mud, making them especially vulnerable to flooding.

The Minister also addressed the ongoing challenge of providing temporary accommodation for displaced individuals.

“Our policy has been to provide temporary emergency accommodation, but we are reviewing this approach to avoid wasting resources by repeatedly spending on temporary solutions.

''Our aim is to eliminate the need for repeated payouts to the same beneficiaries, which has caused inefficiencies in the past,” Simelane said. 

A significant part of this review includes reconsidering the use of Temporary Residential Units (TRUs), which are costing the government an average of R90,000 per unit.

Instead of continuing to invest in TRUs, the government plans to shift toward more permanent housing solutions, at a higher upfront cost but offering better long-term benefits.

"A house costs us almost double the amount of a TRU, and we are hoping to use this R90,000 to directly fund permanent housing instead," said Simelane.

She revealed that the government is actively working on innovative building technologies (IBTs), which have the potential to drastically reduce construction times and costs for permanent homes.

These technologies have already been successfully used in various provinces, including the Western Cape, where over 300,000 classrooms have been built using similar materials. In KwaZulu-Natal, the Department of Health is also utilising IBTs for health facilities.

"We've introduced these technologies as part of our response to the recent floods. Companies can build a solid, permanent house within 14 to 28 days, cutting down both time and cost," Simelane noted.

In her response to a follow-up question by Mabebo regarding the financial implications of the flood damage on the housing backlog, Simelane admitted that the extensive destruction of housing infrastructure would add to the already considerable backlog of homes needed in the country.

However, she emphasised that the government is committed to providing temporary shelter for affected families, while also working to ensure that their long-term housing needs are met.

Simelane acknowledged the need for additional funding but highlighted that the government is not expecting extra money to come in from the national treasury.

"We need to stretch the existing funds further, and that is why we are questioning the legitimacy of continuing with policies that allow for repeated spending on temporary solutions," she said.

To support the rebuilding efforts, Simelane revealed that the National Treasury has approved a 2% allocation from the department’s budget, amounting to approximately R270 million, which will be used to contract provinces for the construction of permanent houses using IBTs.

The government is also collaborating with public works to ensure that alternative materials used for these buildings meet necessary standards.

Simelane expressed confidence in the success of these initiatives, noting that while the response to the floods, particularly in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, has involved the use of TRUs, the long-term solution is to phase them out in favor of more efficient and sustainable methods.

“We are hopeful that the pilot projects with IBTs will allow us to deliver housing more quickly and at a lower cost, ultimately helping us to close the gap in housing delivery,” she said.

*This article was first published by IOL News