The recommendation by the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) that the Ekurhuleni Housing Company should from now on report to the Finance and Human Settlements Oversight Committees every quarter has been adopted during the Ekurhuleni Metro’s latest council meeting.
The Freedom Front Plus stressed that Council merely taking note of reports without implementing mechanisms to continually monitor problems and progress is not enough.
Although the Ekurhuleni Housing Company’s rental collection rate improved from 39% in the previous quarter to 41% in the third quarter (January to March) of the 2025/26 financial year, the entity’s ongoing financial and operational challenges remain a source of concern.
The Freedom Front Plus proposed that the following should be reported to the relevant Committees on a quarterly basis:
• Revenue and rental collection performance
• Outstanding tenant debt
• Credit control and debt collection measures
• Illegal occupation of residential units
• Progress with turnaround measures at underperforming residential complexes
Adopting this recommendation creates a concrete mechanism for continuous oversight, making it harder for poor collection rates, growing debt and other problems to recur quarter after quarter without being addressed or followed up on.
A slight improvement in collection percentages does not mean that the underlying problems have been resolved. When debt accumulates and residential units are illegally occupied, it places mounting pressure on the entity’s sustainability.
The Freedom Front Plus believes that oversight does not end once a report has been tabled to the Council, as that is where accountability starts.
The party will carefully monitor the quarterly reports and insist on corrective action, measurable progress and actual accountability.
Public money and municipal assets must be managed responsibly. The Council’s duty goes beyond simply identifying problems, it also has to ensure that those problems are resolved.
