Simelane Calls for Disaster Risk Assessments Before Housing Projects Are Approved

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has called for disaster risk assessments to be integrated into housing delivery, warning that poorly located developments and inadequate infrastructure can expose communities to foreseeable hazards such as flooding and fires.

Simelane was speaking during a panel discussion on risk-informed planning and safer communities at an International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction engagement held in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, under the theme “Resilience Starts at Home”.

“A home should give a family greater security. If its location or construction exposes that family to foreseeable harm, an essential part of our responsibility remains unfulfilled,” she said.

The Minister said assessments must be conducted before land is acquired and projects approved, taking into account hazards, site conditions, climate projections and the infrastructure needed to support a settlement over the long term. She warned that cheap land can prove costly if it requires extensive flood protection, has unstable ground or cannot be reliably serviced.

Simelane stressed that municipal infrastructure — drainage, water, sanitation, electricity and roads — determines whether communities can withstand disasters, and that these measures must be planned and funded alongside housing projects with clear responsibility for maintenance and repairs.

She also emphasised construction quality, calling for appropriate building materials, site-specific specifications and effective inspections to identify defects before homes are occupied. For existing informal settlements, she pointed to the Informal Settlements Upgrading Programme as the framework for transforming unsafe, unserviced settlements into habitable and legally secured neighbourhoods through in-situ upgrading or relocation where necessary.