Department of Human Settlements to deliver on their promises

It has been almost three months since the Department of Human Settlements’ financial year has started, but it has yet to confirm when it will install sewerage and water services in Extension 14 in Emjindini.

Over 100 homes, all part of the People’s Housing Programme which were built in 2008, have not been completed.

Last August the department promised that the houses would have bulk services in its 2014 financial year.

Human settlements’ 2014/15 financial year started in April and the department had not yet said when it would continue with the project.

Freddy Ngobe, spokesman for the department, said the issue of installing the bulk services had been communicated between the department and Umjindi Municipality

“We will continue with the set up but I can’t confirm when we will resume,” said Ngobe.

An amount of R900 000, which was supposedly to be used for reticulation purposes in 2008, had been unaccounted for.

A contractor, who was only identified as Nombuso of Yami Construction, apparently told community members that she had returned the money to the department because at the time the homes had been under construction, the municipality had not installed bulk services. As a result, the water and sewerage connections to the houses had not been set up.

Construction of these structures started in 2007 and completed the following year. Out of the 100, 19 were allocated to disabled people. And according to the recipients, the homes were supposed to be fully installed with electricity, running water and a sewerage system. However, that was not the case. Since 2008, the public, especially the disabled, had been struggling to get the municipality and human settlements to install these services.