Metro responds to RDP houses on the verge of collapsing

Tsakani – In response to an article in the African Reporter’s October 28 edition, ‘RDP dwellers live in fear’, the City of Ekurhuleni has denied responsibility for the poor construction of the Ext 22 houses.

Visiting eight houses in the area, it was discovered the walls are covered in cracks, the ceilings are falling, doorframes and taps are coming off the walls, there are cracks in the bathtubs and the floors are crumbling.

Residents fear their new homes will one day collapse on them while they are sleeping. The new homeowners said they have previously submitted their grievances to the metro.

The metro, however, states they only received one complaint about the state of the houses in 2020 and 2021.

“No other resident came forth with complaints afterwards. The house, visited by the Member of the Mayoral Committee, engineers, quality assurance inspectors, contractor, City of Ekurhuleni inspectors and Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (DGHS) presented identified problems.

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“The engineers and quality insurance inspectors pointed out the damp coming into the house walls because of poor maintenance of the aprons around the house by the beneficiary of the house,” said Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.

“Upon allocated a house, the owner is advised to keep a minimum of one-metre clearance apron around the house at the same gradient the house is allocated.

“This measure is to ensure the damp is kept away from the house.

“In this instance, the apron was covered by debris, unkempt and running eroding soil which had covered the foundation of the house,” added Dlamini.

He alleges two other houses were also inspected to illustrate to the beneficiary how house maintenance prevents moisture from building up.

Though residents have raised concerns about the houses, the metro isn’t planning on putting the construction on pause.

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For Phase Three of the project, 400 houses were built at an approximate budget of R43m. In total 1 691 houses have been built since the inception of the project.

The construction is still ongoing as the project is implemented in a phased approach during several financial years, subject to the availability of funding.

“For this current financial year which ends March 31, 2023, the target is 130 houses.

“The target for the other years dependents on the availability of funding from the national government,” he said.

He advised residents with similar issues to report to the site office. In consultation with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlement and the City of Ekurhuleni, the complaints reported will be investigated.