City of Johannesburg launches phase 1 of social housing project in Riverside
RIVERSIDE– Housing MMC in the City of Johannesburg said he will not tolerate exploitation of local SMME’s by main contractor.
The Executive Mayor in the City of Johannesburg Dr Mpho Phalatse and MMC for Housing Mlungisi Mabaso conducted a sod-turning ceremony to kick start phase 1 of a social housing project in Riverside.
Phalatse said the three-year project would help create job opportunities for unemployed locals and provide affordable quality rental houses to more than 1 100 families when completed.
“We want our residents who don’t qualify for RDP and bond houses to have access to affordable houses and raise their children in dignified homes. We will continue to work with private sector and our communities to achieve this goal.
“We will work around the clock with the private sector and you, our communities, to restore our city to its former glory. I urge you to work with us to safeguard our infrastructure and discourage people from vandalising public property when not happy about something.”
Mabaso said his department would monitor the project closely to ensure that local SMMEs who were part of the project were not exploited by the main contractor.
“Most projects don’t get finished in time because the main contractor did not pay sub-contractors for the job done. We don’t want delays in this project because sub-contractors have not been paid. As a political head of the department, I will make sure that such delays don’t happen under my watch.”
