Between 1997 to1998 the building of approximately 1,200 houses was commenced in Lotusville and Thembalisizwe. Tenders were put out by the Municipality for suppliers of necessary building materials, cartage and for building contractors. Before building began a ‘spec house’ was built to ascertain the exact specifications and cost of each house. Bricks, cement, sand, door frames, window frames etc were measured in quantity and standard, as was the cost of cartage and the viability of all building materials in Aberdeen. Finance was made payable from Bisho.
The Municipality appointed 9 building contractors each with their own team. Each individual contractor was given an allocation of stands. Contractors for cartage and for the supply of building materials were appointed locally.
The arrangement with regard to the delivery of building materials was on demand for each individual house.
Problems began when various contractors could not complete houses due to the disappearance of the supplied materials. Then a strike was called as the contractors were not employing local workers, and so the building of all houses ceased for one year.
The project was then resumed, but due to inflation, the cost of cartage, building materials etc was higher than the cost of the product originally agreed upon, but the financial department of Bisho refused to pay according to the rate of inflation, so the suppliers were forced to supply goods at less that the actual cost of the materials and cartage.
Today in 2009 the state of many houses in Lotusville and Thembalisizwe is scandalous. Due to inferior work, roofs are being held in place by concrete bricks, doors are falling out of doorways, bricks are becoming displaced and large gaps can be seen between the roof and the wall.
It is obvious that no proper inspection was ever done during or after the erection of these houses, or if it was, it would be in the public interest to know who did the inspection.
On Monday 16th November in Johannesburg, Mr Tokio Sexwale made a statement which was recorded on Financial.24 that the housing situation was a national scandal. He said it would cost R1.3 million rand to reconstruct the badly built houses, when this finance should have been used to build new houses.
Mr Sexwale, who was on a visit to Alphendale near East London where 339 badly constructed houses have to be rebuilt, had this to say. ”Ons wil weet wie hierdie huise gebou het. Ons moet ernstige vrae vra en mense aan die pen laat ry. Ons gaan die problem regstel, maar ons gaan ook die mense wat die probleem veroorsaak het, in die hande kry”, Mnr. Sexwale het swak dienslewering op korrupsie by konstruksie-maatskappye en regeringsamptenare geblameer”.
Mr Sexwale should be made aware of the state of the housing in both Lotusville and Thembalisizwe, and he should call the people responsible to account for the lack of building expertise and bad management.
On 28th November a large concrete brick, used in the construction of one of the RDP houses fell out of the wall above the doorway on to Susan Witbooi’s foot. Suzan’s foot was x-rayed and she was treated for broken bones in her foot at the local hospital. Her foot is now encased in a plaster cast, and she will be unable to work for 6 weeks. Had this concrete brick fallen on the head of her 9 year old son, the consequences could have been tragic.
The Municipality appointed 9 building contractors each with their own team. Each individual contractor was given an allocation of stands. Contractors for cartage and for the supply of building materials were appointed locally.
The arrangement with regard to the delivery of building materials was on demand for each individual house.
Problems began when various contractors could not complete houses due to the disappearance of the supplied materials. Then a strike was called as the contractors were not employing local workers, and so the building of all houses ceased for one year.
The project was then resumed, but due to inflation, the cost of cartage, building materials etc was higher than the cost of the product originally agreed upon, but the financial department of Bisho refused to pay according to the rate of inflation, so the suppliers were forced to supply goods at less that the actual cost of the materials and cartage.
Today in 2009 the state of many houses in Lotusville and Thembalisizwe is scandalous. Due to inferior work, roofs are being held in place by concrete bricks, doors are falling out of doorways, bricks are becoming displaced and large gaps can be seen between the roof and the wall.
It is obvious that no proper inspection was ever done during or after the erection of these houses, or if it was, it would be in the public interest to know who did the inspection.
On Monday 16th November in Johannesburg, Mr Tokio Sexwale made a statement which was recorded on Financial.24 that the housing situation was a national scandal. He said it would cost R1.3 million rand to reconstruct the badly built houses, when this finance should have been used to build new houses.
Mr Sexwale, who was on a visit to Alphendale near East London where 339 badly constructed houses have to be rebuilt, had this to say. ”Ons wil weet wie hierdie huise gebou het. Ons moet ernstige vrae vra en mense aan die pen laat ry. Ons gaan die problem regstel, maar ons gaan ook die mense wat die probleem veroorsaak het, in die hande kry”, Mnr. Sexwale het swak dienslewering op korrupsie by konstruksie-maatskappye en regeringsamptenare geblameer”.
Mr Sexwale should be made aware of the state of the housing in both Lotusville and Thembalisizwe, and he should call the people responsible to account for the lack of building expertise and bad management.
On 28th November a large concrete brick, used in the construction of one of the RDP houses fell out of the wall above the doorway on to Susan Witbooi’s foot. Suzan’s foot was x-rayed and she was treated for broken bones in her foot at the local hospital. Her foot is now encased in a plaster cast, and she will be unable to work for 6 weeks. Had this concrete brick fallen on the head of her 9 year old son, the consequences could have been tragic.
Susan a single parent has two small children. She depends on the salaries she receives from her two different employers to sustain herself and her family. One of her employers has said that she will continue to make payment to Susan whilst she is unable to work. It is hoped that her other employer follows suit.
When contacted, the Aberdeen Municipality, said the onus is on the owner of the house to fix the structure. Number 3685 in Thembalisizwe where Susan Witbooi has lived for 5 years is a rented house.
Now 400 new houses are to be built, while the original houses are falling apart. There is little sense in this, and it might take a visit from the Minister of Housing to realize the fact. It is hoped that some form of good management will carefully monitor who the building contractors are that the Aberdeen Municipality appoints, where the building materials are to be stored once delivered and that all information will be readily available to the press and to interested parties. Susan Witbooi is seen photographed in her house with the concrete brick which fell onto her foot.
Now 400 new houses are to be built, while the original houses are falling apart. There is little sense in this, and it might take a visit from the Minister of Housing to realize the fact. It is hoped that some form of good management will carefully monitor who the building contractors are that the Aberdeen Municipality appoints, where the building materials are to be stored once delivered and that all information will be readily available to the press and to interested parties. Susan Witbooi is seen photographed in her house with the concrete brick which fell onto her foot.
Article By: Joan Tinker
