WATCH: New RDP houses in Tsakani are on the verge of collapsing
Residents are living in fear over the state of the 'newly built' RDP houses.
Tsakani – Residents from Phase Three in Ext 22 claim the RDP houses they moved into in 2018 are falling apart.
The residents of this new establishment in Tsakani are living in unsafe conditions as the walls of their homes continue to crack. They told the African Reporter their biggest fears and concerns are the houses can collapse at any time.
Floors are peeling off, there are cracks on doorframes and bathtubs, and loose taps and ceilings are falling off.
They alleged their RDP houses started falling apart as soon as they moved in.
Resident Marilda Kock said she ‘stood in horror’ as the walls began to crack. She moved into what she thought was her dream home in March 2018 and started noticing cracks in May.
“This place is damp, the floor is always wet. I was forced to put in carpets but that hasn’t helped much.
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“Even outside, you can still see the cracks from the foundation going up. When it rains, water also gets inside the house,” she explained.
Several residents claim they have attempted to get assistance from various stakeholders, without any success since 2019.
The 72-year-old pensioner Edith Mavuso said, “Living here is like waiting to die.
“One day while watching television with my grandsons, the ceiling caved in, hitting my four-year-old grandson. I have since tried to patch it with a sellotape. On the other hand, the taps can fall off at any time as well,” she said.
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Another resident from the same area but from Phase One, which is the first phase of the development completed in 2016, Puleng Mbhele, added they experienced the same issues.
She had to use her own money to patch the ceiling and fix the water leaks and taps. She said she had to remove her bathtub completely as it was slowly detaching from the wall.
The residents are of the view that the environment is not conducive to housing. They also accused the contractor of poor workmanship and are pleading for help.
The metro had not replied by the time of print.
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