MEC promises to put a roof over the heads of 7 000 poor families
The MEC, Basikopo Makamu said his department has set aside R824,588,943 for the construction of RDP houses in the 2019/20 financial year.
LIMPOPO – Nearly 7 000 poor families who have never owned a house of their own will soon have a roof over their heads following a financial injection by the Limpopo Cooperative Governance, Housing and Traditional Affairs, the department said this week.
The MEC, Basikopo Makamu said his department has set aside R824,588,943 for the construction of RDP houses in the 2019/20 financial year.
Makamu said most of the houses would be built in the far-flung rural areas of the province.
He said the majority of poor people or indigents lived in rural areas, farms and townships.
Limpopo, which is one of the poorest provinces in the country following the Eastern Cape is divided into five districts: Mopani, Sekhukhune, Waterberg, Vhembe and the Capricorn district.
Capricorn is the richest in the province and doubles up as the province’s economic hub and capital.
The province boosts a population of 5, 8 million, many of whom rely on social grants to make ends meet every month.
Last year, the DA complained that several RDP houses had been left abondoned by the department following allegations of poor workmanship and contractual squabbles by contractors.
Recently, former Housing MEC, Jerry Ndou was criticised for having spent over R68 million in rectifying 869 poorly built RDP houses in Limpopo in the last financial year.
In Sekhukhune alone, 73 RDP houses were either abandoned or left incomplete since 2014 by the department in eight villages.
Some of the houses are situated in Makupung village (five houses), Maepa village (14), Mokutung village (15), Maparena village (six), Malaeneng village (14), Mabelane village (six), New Stands (seven) and four houses in Makgalane village.
Provincial DA Leader, Jaques Smalle accused the department of also sending over R100 million back to National Treasury while the majority of the poor slept in the cold.
In Mopani, angry residents, who braved the winter weather to construct makeshift structures after their houses were swept away by a storm, accused the department of empty promises.
The residents claimed they still have to wait for their houses three years after the Letaba Municipality promised to give them a roof over their heads.
“But we are still waiting three years after the promise,” said Maropeng Moremi of Ditshosing village near gaMaphalle.
Moremi said certain houses were built but not completed, while others had already developed cracks, posing a danger to beneficiaries.
Makamu said the department has in that regard terminated the contract of 23 companies due to reasons similar to those of Mopani.
He said some of the reasons for the termination included that some companies defaulted on their contracts, while others could not finish the construction for several reasons, including shoddy work and the financial implications thereof.
“With the new budget, we also plan to address some of the backlog of 145 000 houses, which dates as far back as 2014.
“Our contractors are currently on site, building the houses.
“They are currently in different stages.
“Some houses are at window level while others are at the foundation phase or completion phase.
“Our primary objective is that by the end of the financial year construction is complete, our beneficiaries have the keys to their houses and they are registered in their names.
“It is our responsibility to make sure that the houseless become owners and have a roof over their heads.
“It is also our primary objective to ensure that we build quality houses for our people because housing is like sanitation. People need these to feel dignified. We cannot keep people from feeling dignified as rightful residents of the province and citizens of the country,” said Makamu.
