RDP housing project still incomplete

The Mackenzieville Extension Two RDP Housing Project in Nigel has been plagued by numerous interruptions, delays and controversy since its inception in 2014.

“Apart from the City’s Building Control and the Disaster and DEMS Departments issuing a stop building notice a few years ago, one of the appointed contractors also abandoned the project because of a lack of funding in the Ekurhuleni Human Settlements and the Gauteng Housing Departments that caused further delays,” said Wollaston Labuschagne, DA councillor for Ward 88.

“This housing project should have been completed in 2017. Yet, years later, the rightful beneficiaries have not been allocated their housing units.

“Subsequently, criminals and illegal occupants moved into some of the units without the authorisation.”

According to Labuschagne, the illegal occupation of these units has been brought to the attention of the former executive mayor and the MMC of Human Settlements frequently.

Labuschagne added that the newly elected government in the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has the mammoth task and responsibility of remedying and resolving this state of affairs.

“At the beginning of the year, I requested a meeting with the MMC of Human Settlements Clr Mabekenyane Thamahane and his department,” he said.

“The meeting was granted and took place on January 10.”

During this meeting, Labuschagne said the following information was provided:

• The CoE abides by national laws and will not allow communities to illegally occupy RDP housing developments. As such, the eviction order obtained through the courts will be executed within the next few months

• The evictions would only take place once the necessary funding is available to continue and complete the entire project, and once all the illegal occupants have received eviction notices informing them of the pending evictions

• The eviction legal process has cost Ekurhuleni ratepayers an arm and a leg, owing to occupants opposing the eviction order

“I have also been informed that before any evictions take place, the beneficiary list for Mackenzieville Extension Two will be made available,” Labuschagne continued.

“Then, an audit of qualifying beneficiaries will be done and qualifying beneficiaries will be notified that in the event they are not allocated to the Mackenzieville Extension Two development, they may be allocated to other RDP developments.

“The reality is that the Mackenzieville Extension Two RDP project needs to be completed, and as the Ward 88 councillor, I am looking forward to working with the Department of Human Settlements to ensure that deserving and rightful recipients benefit from this project.

“As the DA in Ekurhuleni, we trust that a transparent process will finally be followed regarding the housing beneficiaries,” Labuschagne concluded.

“We will keep a close eye on this project and monitor that the new contractor completes the project in the allocated timeframe and within budget.”