West family home to be rebuilt – government
The family, however, were sceptical about government's promises and said they would believe it when they saw the house rebuilt.
The provincial government has vowed to rebuild an Atteridgeville family’s home after it was demolished illegally in 2017.
Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Lebogang Maile, visited the family home on Saturday to inspect it.
His visit came after the family raised their grievances to him in Saulsville last week.
Lindiwe Mhlahla, who spoke on behalf of the family, said the family had been promised several times in the past that their house would be rebuilt.
“We are grateful as a family that the MEC managed to make time for us, but we will only believe it when we see it.
“We have been fighting for this for a very long time.
“There was an agreement that was signed at the office of the public protector in February 2019. Now it is 2021 and nothing has happened; should we not have approached the MEC at the Saulsville Arena, maybe we would still be stuck even now. After seeing him, we saw commitment in a short space of time.”
MEC Maile said they decided to build the house through a private-public partnership.
“We asked a sponsor who will help us.”
He said government houses are regulated to 40sqm.
“Through our calculations, the house in question is between 50 and 60sqm. I have told the team in the department and the MEC’s office that the next time I come here, we should be handing over the house.”
Maile said they apologised unreservedly as the Gauteng provincial government and no family must endure the pain the family has experienced.
“It is very unfortunate and uncalled for as the house was demolished wrongfully in 2017.
“It is extremely wrong for the government officials to have delayed it.
“The matter was brought to me by the public protector in December or January. We have asked the head of the department to take disciplinary action against those who have delayed the process.
“The family explained they would not have been happy with an RDP because their house was not an RDP, it is for that reason that we have asked for sponsorship.
“We want to thank them for responding positively to the call. My wish is to unveil the house in two months.”
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