The matter of a blasting estimated R69 million that equates the bill which the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta) apparently spent on rebuilding 869 RDP houses with structural defects the past five financial years, surfaced at Parliamentary level last week. Still, the bad news continues as a further more than 5 000 such units that were constructed in Limpopo during the same period reportedly require repair.
Response to a set of pending written questions about the burning issue posed by Democratic Alliance (DA) Parliamentarian Solly Malatsi, who serves as DA Shadow Minister for Human Settlements, in May last year was now received some eight months later.
From information contained in the document of response, of which a copy was made available to Polokwane Observer last week, it is evident that the scenario in Limpopo has seemingly worsened the past half-decade under scrutiny. Seemingly during the past financial year 410 houses with structural defects – more than double as many structures as the 188 rebuilds in 2016/17 requiring attention – totalled at R34 030 000 made up almost half of the total provincial figure valued at R68 770 940 that called for rebuild over the same period.
Malatsi informed Polokwane Observer that Human Settlements Minister Nomaindia Mfeketo had responded to the initial questions about what amounts the national department had spent to repair or rebuild houses with structural defects as well as old houses across the country in each of the past financial years last Wednesday. In addition Malatsi further requested the names of the contractors, the Rand value and number of houses currently needing to be repaired or rebuilt.
As part of the reply that contained a breakdown of the situation also in the Eastern and Western Cape, Free State, North West and KwaZulu-Natal, information on the Limpopo scenario was provided that underscored a total of 5 291 units still needing to be repaired.
The Limpopo figures don’t seem that bad compared to other provinces, with the breakdown talking to an amount of R2 129 519 000 of the Human Settlement Development Grant which the Eastern Cape advised on to repair or rebuild 14 732 houses with structural defects or old houses over the particular period.
In terms of the statistics the North West administration had reportedly advised on a similar case to the one in Limpopo prevailing with R70 486 058 having been spent on rebuilding 2 600 houses over the same period, while 514 units still needed repair. In the same vein the Western Cape numbers reveal R67 404 577 that had to be spent on houses having to be repaired or rebuilt and 11 units still needing repair.
In KwaZulu-Natal a far worse financial implication was seemingly experienced, according to the figures set out in the document that show R639 551 000 having been spent on repairing and rebuilding houses while 6 027 houses still had to be repaired.
The breakdown of the situation in the Free State the past five financial years comprises of two pages of contractors, which seem to include a prominent Limpopo company.
Apparently the remainder of provinces had reported not to have incurred any expenditure on repairing or rebuilding houses with structural defects or old houses during the financial years under examination.
According to Malatsi follow-up questions arising from the information supplied by the Minister would have been posed before the end of this week, among which the possibility of the same companies who failed to deliver in Limpopo rendering the same shoddy work elsewhere in the country. He conceded that matters might have been worse as the breakdown passed on by the Minister only dated back to the 2013/14 financial year.
Malatsi stressed the issue of structural defects to RDP units that meant the houses have initially been poorly built as contractors were not capable of doing the job and the questionable dodgy process of appointing those contractors to do the work. Malatsi expressed the opinion that it confirmed suspicion that there were contractors linked to the ruling party who didn’t have the capacity to deliver. He simultaneously referred to the ethical position the department had to take to terminate contracts that the companies failed to deliver on.
He pointed out that it had cost Limpopo taxpayers additional money for the structures to be brought up to standard. Malatsi lashed out at Coghsta for the wasteful expenditure and unnecessary resources spent on poorly done jobs and said that instead the money could have been applied to build new houses.
Malatsi concluded stating that the picture displayed disrespect to the dignity of the poor, who had to wait for houses for extended periods.
In the meantime it was learnt by media statement that the DA in Limpopo has filed a complaint with the office of the Human Settlements Ombudsman to probe the matter.
Despite questions on the matter being posed to Coghsta spokesperson Paena Galane on Tuesday around noon, no response had been received at the time of going to press.
Story: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com
Photo: Supplied
