Parliamentary Committee Lauds George Municipality’s Human Settlements Projects
In the phhoto from left: Ms Thokozile Magagula (Member of Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements), Mr Mammoga Seabi (Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements), Mr Mahlatse Phosa (Director of Planning and Development, George Municipality), Ms Motebele Kegakilwe (Member of Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements), Cllr Jean Safers (MMC for Human Settlements, George Municipality), Ald Jackie von Brandis (Executive Mayor of George, Elandre Lamini (Moeggehuur Residents Chairperson), Cameron Dugmore (Member of National Assembly), Cllr Theresa Jeyi (Whip of Council, George Municipality), Mr Nathan Adriaanse (Director: Stakeholder and Public Information Western Cape Department of Infrastructure), Cllr Monique Simmers (MMC for Community Services – Refuse, Environment and Parks, George Municipality), Mr Conrad James Poole (Member of Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements) and Cllr Melvin Roelfse (MMC for Social Development – Libraries, Sport & Customer Care, George Municipality).
George Municipality’s Human Settlements projects came under the national spotlight last week when the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements in the National Assembly conducted an oversight visit to the Garden Route from 24 to 25 July 2025.
Day one of the visit, Thursday, 24 July, included a multi-stakeholder meeting held at the Knysna Council Chambers. This session brought together the National and Provincial Departments of Human Settlements, the MEC for Human Settlements, and representatives from the George, Mossel Bay, and Knysna municipalities. Discussions focused on the implementation of the Human Settlements Development Grant, the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant (ISUPG), and other key human settlements programmes. George Municipality presented its current and planned housing initiatives.
On the second day, Friday, 25 July, the Portfolio Committee conducted site visits to three human settlements projects in the George municipal area:
- Moeggehuur Informal Settlement in Pacaltsdorp – An area currently occupied by backyard dwellers where land ownership challenges have delayed formal housing development.
- The Military Veterans Housing Project – A dedicated housing initiative aimed at providing quality homes for qualifying military veterans.
- The Breaking New Ground (BNG) development at Metro Grounds – A large-scale integrated housing project delivering over 600 units, including amenities and inclusive community allocation.
The delegation also visited the site of the Victoria Street building collapse, which remains under investigation.
The Portfolio Committee’s visit formed part of its constitutional oversight function, as Parliament is responsible for the appropriation of public funds. The Committee plays a key role in reviewing and approving budget allocations to provinces and accredited municipalities, ensuring that these funds are spent efficiently, effectively, and in line with their intended purpose.
Committee members expressed overall satisfaction with George Municipality’s progress in deliver-ing housing opportunities. However, concerns were raised about delays in specific projects — par-ticularly the acquisition of land from the Western Cape Government for the Moeggehuur devel-opment.
“Our oversight visit ensures that the funds allocated to provinces and accredited municipalities are used effectively for housing delivery. We are generally impressed with George Municipality’s pro-gress, especially the quality of the Military Veterans Housing Project. However, concerns remain about the delays in formalising the longstanding informal settlement,” said Mr Mammoga Seabi, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements.
Cameron Dugmore, a Member of the National Assembly who grew up in George, also welcomed the visible progress at the Metro Grounds BNG project: “It’s meaningful to see development on land that the people of Borcherds fought so hard to secure. With 50% of the beneficiaries from Borcherds and others also included, the project promotes community ownership. It’s encouraging to see cooperation across all spheres of government.”
Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Jackie von Brandis, thanked the Portfolio Committee for its visit and positive engagement: “It was a privilege to host the National Assembly’s Portfolio on Human Settlements and showcase the work being done by George Municipality. Through collaboration with all spheres of government, the successes we can achieve are immeasurable. Together, we can create more op-portunities for those we serve. I am honoured that the Committee had the opportunity to witness what is possible when collaborative effort, transparent governance, and responsible oversight come together.”
Mayor von Brandis was accompanied by the Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Jean Saffers, who also thanked the delegation for their visit. Also in attendance were members of the George Municipal Council, officials from the George Municipality, and representa-tives from the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements.
