MMC Mpia hands over R21 million project to the community

Mia said the sum of R21 million had been allocated to KMG Civil Construction company for the second phase of the RDP housing project for the construction of 141 houses. The building project was due to start on February 27, and is expected to be concluded before June 30.

Delivering his speech to the Sphamandla Informal Settlement Square residents, Mpia said he was excited that after June 30, community members from Ward 60 under Clr Khehla Madlala and Ward 63 under Clr Nomsa Phakathi would be accommodated in decent houses.

He asked the owners of the construction company to ensure the quality of houses was of a high standard, with no tolerance for shoddy work. He also insisted that the Project Steering Committee (PSC) should ensure that subcontracting work was given to local people, and that local people are preferred for employment, and that they are screened to ensure they are indeed members of the community.

“We can’t allow having people from outside the area to get jobs while we have people who wake up on an empty stomach and go to bed without having something to eat every day. It will be unfair if this were to happen under the watchful eyes of the PSC,” said Mpia.

The residents welcomed Mpia speech but raised their concerns about the quality of houses built for them during the first phase of the project, claiming they were of poor quality and workmanship.

In response, the MMC said he did not wish to get involved in matters involving local disputes as these were personal matters, but promised the phase two project would not have a situation where two houses of different families would be built in one stand.

He said the municipality would ensure that people whose houses experienced cracked walls and falling ceiling boards would get a redress after the metro had conducted a study to establish the cost incurred to repair the houses.

Community liaison officer Lemisa Nkhodi said they were happy because people would finally get homes they call their own.

“We are satisfied with everything, especially the fact that the construction will begin soon,” said Nkhodi.

ANC chairperson in Ward 63 George Jele said they are excited about the project.

“It is been long awaited for. It means the government of the ANC is really working for the people. I am happy because everyone in the meeting came out happy,” Jele said.

Mandla Monde, the ANC chairperson in Ward 60, said they delivered a memorandum in the mayor’s office a year ago.

“Among the list was the issue of houses. We made it clear that the number of houses constructed during phase one were few. We are happy that our government listened to us, and gave us what we asked for,” Monde said.

Nomonde Kiyane, ANC Zonal Task Team for Zone 10, said she came to the meeting to oversee how people welcomed the local government’s housing project.

“ It means our government is on point and doing things the way we want,” said Kiyane.