Riverside View residents raise safety concerns with collapsing roof of newly built RDP houses

Residents of Riverside View said the leaks in their houses were making their life difficult on rainy days.

December 8, 2022

Nduduzo Nxumalo 1 minute read

Riverside View resident Themba Nombala uses brooms to support the falling ceiling in his house. Photo Nduduzo Nxumalo

Riverside View residents have raised concerns regarding leaking and collapsing roofs of their newly built RDP houses.

Themba Nombala, who was allocated the house last year by the Provincial Department for Human Settlement, said the joy he had when he received his house has turned into misery.

“I was very happy when I moved from a shack in Diepsloot into this house with my family late last year. The house looked beautiful and it didn’t show any signs of defects that can lead to leaking. When these leaks started I reported the matter to our councillor and he promised to escalate the matter to the department and the developer.”

The broken ceiling in the house of Paul Makgato. Photo: Nduduzo Nxumalo

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Another resident who has a similar problem with his house, Paul Makgato, said the leaks in his house started in the bathroom and moved to other rooms.

“We were forced to move the furniture from one bedroom to the others because the house was flooding. The leaks started in the bathroom and moved to the bedrooms. We hope that Region A’s visit will bear good fruit because we’ve reported the matter to our councillor,” Makgato said.

Dan Mbomvu from the Premier’s Office, Region A director Abigail Ndlovu and Ward 96 councillor Rufus Maswazi visit leaking houses during a walkabout in the area. Photo: Nduduzo Nxumalo

Ward 96 councillor Rufus Maswazi said the matter has been reported to the developer and Department of Human Settlement. “My office recently received a number of complaints from residents who are experiencing this unpleasant situation. We hope they will come to the party and have the leaks fixed.”

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Dlozi Mnisi from the Department for Human Settlement confirmed the matter had been reported to the department. “A team of inspectors from the department will meet with the developer and Region A director to assess the damage and what needs to be done.”