DA petition tackles unfinished RDPs
SEKHUKHUNE – The DA has launched a petition aimed at forcing the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta) to immediately complete over 100 abandoned RDP houses that have remained incomplete since 2014. The party said the houses were abandoned and left incomplete by a contractor over five years ago. In many …
SEKHUKHUNE – The DA has launched a petition aimed at forcing the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta) to immediately complete over 100 abandoned RDP houses that have remained incomplete since 2014.
The party said the houses were abandoned and left incomplete by a contractor over five years ago.
In many cases, the houses were left without windows, doors and roofing.
Cllr Isaac Makofane said they became aware of the residents’ quandary during door-to-door campaigns, where many of the potential beneficiaries from the abandoned project currently live in tiny shacks and mud houses.
“A glaring instance of this poor service delivery is the 73 incomplete RDP houses in eight villages of the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality. It is alleged that the department has failed to hold the contractor accountable for the mess that was caused, and also failed to ensure that they have completed the project.”
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The abandoned and incomplete RDP houses were found at Makgalane, Malaeneng, Makupung, Mabelane, Maepa and other villages.
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Rufus Mohlala, from Maepa, told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that his house house was left incomplete back in 2016. “I saw others getting houses, but mine was never completed. Even today, it still has no windows and roofing.”
“The department’s failure to ensure the completion of the houses is in contravention of Section 26 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right of all South Africans to adequate housing,” added Makofane.
He said once the residents signed the petition, it will be delivered to MEC Bioskop Makamu and the Sekhukhune District Municipality’s executive mayor, Stan Ramaila for their immediate intervention. The party said it will further engage with the department to make sure active steps are taken to complete these houses, and hold the contractor who abandoned the projects accountable.
Motupa Selomo, a spokesman for Coghsta, said the department was aware of the abandoned and incomplete houses.
“The MEC has asked for the department’s projects assessment in the previous financial year, with the aim of finding out the challenges we face. The assessment has been done, but it was discovered that there were contractors who vanished with their phase one amounts.
“We were forced to pull 11 contractors from our database because they could not complete their duties as agreed. Currently, the rectification programme is finished and other contractors are in position to complete all the unfinished houses in the province,” said Selomo.
