Central SA
Free State department restructures to improve delivery─── REFILWE BEKANE 11:00 Sat, 24 Jan 2026
The Free State department of human settlements is implementing internal changes to improve service delivery and financial accountability.
The department has filled three key leadership positions: the chief director for corporate services, district director for Fezile Dabi, and director for financial management and budgeting. These appointments aim to manage resources and prevent the return of unspent funds to the national treasury.
Leadership is currently restructuring personnel to address previous issues of project delays and underspending. This process includes efforts to remove internal corruption and address legal matters involving officials facing charges in court.
These structural changes are necessary to ensure all allocated funds are used for provincial housing projects.

The department aims to ensure all projects reach completion. Photo: Freepik
“These changes, along with internal restructuring of personnel, aim to undermine the culture of non-delivery and underspending, which have led to many incomplete projects in the past. The department will continue to restructure itself,” said head of communications for human settlements Zimasa Mbewu.
In the 2026/27 financial year, the department will prioritise catalytic projects and community residential units (CRUs). The focus remains on completing the dark and silver city units in Mangaung and the G-hostel in Matjhabeng.
“The department is working to ensure all projects reach completion. The CRU in Mangaung Metro, which has experienced ongoing delays in its completion, will be launched soon and handed over to the metro.”
Delivery mandate
The department continues to reshape its operations to meet its delivery mandate. This involves monitoring current construction sites and ensuring internal capacity supports the technical requirements of large-scale housing developments.
The goal of the ongoing restructuring is to create a system that responds to the housing needs of the province without financial loss.
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