Municipality responds to Donnelly Road fiasco

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16-09-2025
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Southlands Sun
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The Donnelly Road Housing project, which cost the municipality over R111m, has sparked outrage among the Ward 66 residents.

THE eThekwini Municipality has responded to the allegations raised over the allocation of hoses at the newly built Donnelly Road flats in Ward 66.

The allocation of houses at the Donnelly Road Housing project, which cost the municipality over R11 million, has sparked outrage among the Ward 66 residents. Some residents accused officials of giving houses to friends.

However, spokesperson for eThekwini Municipality, Gugu Sisilana, said the process is handled with transparency and fairness, adhering strictly to policy.

In a statement, eThekwini said the project comprising 76 newly-built flat units was declared ‘practically complete’ in June 2024.

“However, following this milestone, technical challenges were identified. In July 2024, inspectors from the eThekwini Water Directorate found that the installation of water meters was not compliant with approved standards. This required corrective works that were not provided for in the original project budget,” said Sisilana in a statement.

The municipality said the allocations must comply with National Credit Regulations, and it must avoid placing households in a position where they cannot afford to stay.

“With 76 units now available, the allocation process will prioritise the original list of 64 households. The balance will be sourced from the greater eThekwini housing needs register, ensuring fairness and transparency.

“The Municipality rejects in the strongest terms any allegations of manipulation. Every allocation follows a strict, transparent policy framework designed to protect the integrity of the City’s housing programme. The Municipality is working tirelessly to conclude the allocation process within the shortest possible timeframe,” Sisilana added.

Chairperson of the Human Settlements, Engineering and eThekwini Transport Authority Committee, Themba Mvubu, said these additional works inevitably caused delays.

“The technical issues have since been resolved. In addition to the technical delays, the allocation process also encountered social challenges. The original beneficiary list consisted of 64 households, drawn from those who previously resided on the site. During final verification and engagement processes, some individuals became dissatisfied, arguing that they had already been verified in earlier phases.

“Unfortunately, certain engagements turned hostile, making it difficult for officials to conclude the process smoothly,” said Mvubu.

He emphasised that the municipality understands the frustrations of the community, and that verifications are a critical safeguard to ensure fairness and compliance with housing policy.

“We cannot finalise allocations without confirming that all beneficiaries still meet the qualifying requirements. The Donnelly Road Housing Project is a rental housing initiative. Rental amounts have been set at R850 per month for a one-bedroom unit and R1 800 per month for a two-bedroom unit. In line with national and municipal housing policy, all potential beneficiaries are subjected to an affordability test to ensure they can sustainably pay rent. The Municipality also applies a right-sizing policy, which matches household income and family size to the appropriate unit type,” said Mvubu.