Beneficiaries not happy with state of RDP houses

One of the RDP houses with a gapping crack on the outside that has infuriated the beneficiaries

By Tshepo Marutha

cracks on the walls that water seeps through during rainy days, mismatching taps that are not properly fitted, non-functioning solar geysers on the rooftops and ruptured wooden door panels and windows that are falling apart. A Community Leader, Kedibone Chiloane said they have on numerous occasions tried to alert the City of Tshwane, Gauteng Department of Housing but their call for help keeps on falling on deaf ears. “I am worried that the situation will ultimately get out of hand

The former residents of ‘Marry Me’ informal settlement who have been moved to a new RDP housing development in Extension 19, Soshanguve are crying foul over the major defects on the houses that have been allocated to them. They claim that they were forced to sign ‘Happy Letters’ an (official document that symbolises that all parties are satisfied with the state of the houses) during the hand over. While on the contrary they were moved into houses with gaping

with the looming rainy season. The cracks on the walls are getting bigger and bigger by the day. We have been told several times by the sub-contractors that we are ungrateful because we got the houses for free.” said Chiloane. Her neighbour Zondiwe Mhlanga put the blamed the sub-contractor for the poor workmanship; “They wanted to save money at all cost hence we have to deal with all the defects. They used ‘Nyaope Boys’ to build some

of the houses. Most people are unemployed and they do not have money to fix the houses on their own.” The Chairperson of the International Relations in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Masefako Dikgale also raised her concerns over poor workmanship on the houses during a service delivery oversight visit to the area.

In an effort to address the situation Dikgale has called for a meeting with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlement, the main contractor (Faranani Properties), subcontractors and beneficiaries to find a solution. She and her delegation said they were concerned about reports of subcontractors who were not paid for three years.