Factors contributing to the delays in housing delivery in Ratanda Township in Lesedi Local Municipality for the past five years – Gauteng Province

Abstract

South Africa is faced with serious housing backlogs and the government has not been able to meet the increasing demand for housing. With increased migration to urban areas, the demand for adequate housing has also increased and the government needs to identify factors contributing to housing delays and develop measures to overcome housing backlogs. The research was based in Ratanda Township, located in the Lesedi Local Municipality, in the south-east of Johannesburg and covers an area of approximately 1 484 km2. This research aimed to explore all factors that have caused delays in housing delivery in Ratanda Township, Lesedi Local Municipality, in the past five years. This was achieved by using qualitative research techniques by conducting structured interviews with professionals within the construction industry. The results indicated that financial constraints were ranked the highest and considered to be the most important factor attributed to housing project delays. When it comes to project management, the top five skills and competencies that a project manager should have are the ability to provide supervision, financial management, conflict resolution, educational competency, and an extensive number of years of experience in the industry. Other factors that were attributed to housing delays include delays in the payment of contractors and subcontractors, poor site supervision, corruption, service delivery protests, and subcontractors being involved in too many projects. This research will provide stakeholders and decision-makers with a clear understanding of the challenges in the construction industry that cause delays and thus facilitate the implementation of strategies to reduce delays in construction projects