DA commits to ravamp Madala Hostel
ALEXANDRA – DA commits R100 million for Madala Hostel and pressure on government to complete Riverpark Flats.
The caring Democratic Alliance-led City of Joburg administration has allocated R100 million in the 2019/2020 financial year for the redevelopment of Madala Hostel, Alexandra.
This according to a statement by Mervyn Cirota, the party’s MPL and shadow MEC for Human Settlements. Cirota said this in reference to the all-male hostel which has been in a deplorable condition for many years despite government’s commitment to revamp and to covert all hostels into family dwellings.
He attributed the hostel’s poor condition to the Gauteng Human Settlements Department’s MEC, Paul Mashatile, saying they would hold him accountable for the failed development in addition to ensuring that he also completes the Riverpark Flats.
He said the hostel residents were tired of the department’s empty promises to maintain and convert the hostel. “Its infrastructure is old, dilapidated and not maintained. The few available toilets and bathrooms have no ablution facilities and are shared by males and females. It’s inhumane to expose the residents to such distressing and appalling conditions on a daily basis,” he said adding that part of the building and roof burnt in 2013 haven’t been repaired and expose the residents to rain and bad weather.
Cirota also condemned the department for the vacant and incomplete Riverpark Flats saying they are crumbling, walls are cracked, doors are broken and the fence and bricks have been stolen.
“They have been incomplete for almost seven years allegedly after the developer was liquidated. It’s a complete waste of money from lack of planning by the department, which has a 600 000 housing backlog. Yet, we have a number of incomplete housing projects.”
He said the party will table questions in legislature to ascertain:
- Reasons for the lack of repairs and maintenance of the hostel
- If the insurance has been paid for the fire damage, how and why the money was used, or not used
- Steps and plans for the department to address the problems.
Details: Mervyn Cirota 060 558 8312; Charity Moyo 074 787 3166.
Read: WATCH: Alex residents block N3 over newly built flats
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