While some people are without houses and are shack dwellers in Brandvlei, the herald has learned that the R15 million housing project initiated by the Department of Local government and housing in the area has failed dismally.
This comes from media reports which indicate that about 200 houses in the area which were built in the past few years are vacant and have become a haven for drug users and vandalists. The houses in question are said to be without window frames and that broken glasses as well as used condoms were spotted strewn all over the place.
The report also indicated that plumbing had been destroyed in some of the houses .
Initially, residents of the area spoke to the herald earlier this year when they embarked on a protest action and said that their anger and frustrations emanate from the fact that the Randfontein Local Municipality has been ignoring their pleas for proper services and houses as well.
“The Randfontein Local Municipality is taking us for fools and we will not have it any longer. They have built houses behind our settlements and those houses remain unoccupied whilst we are living in shacks,” a resident said.
The person added that the municipality is dangling carrots in front of their eyes.
The herald spoke to Randfontein Local mayoral spokesperson Lucky Chiya at the time who said that the allocation of houses was not the municipality’s responsibility and that of the province.
Be it as it may, residents have alleged that they were informed by an official from the Department of local government and housing that houses would be allocated to them after the refurbishment process which was meant to take place on Mandela Day.
Meanwhile Local government and housing spokesperson Motsamai Motlhaolwa says that they are aware of the problem of vacant houses and will look into it.
“We are aware of the problems in the area mainly the connection to sewer networks and vandalism. However, we are looking into repairing the houses thus far to ensure that they are habitable and the issues with regards to the delays are receiving our urgent attention,” says Motlhaolwa.
