Shabangu family’s RDP house shakes during storms

KINROSS – The Shabangu family is one of many that have been recipients of poorly built RDP houses and the province apparently does not want to take accountability of inferior work done by contractors employed by them.

The two young women who live in the house’s mother died in 2010 and the older sister had to step in and play a motherly role to her sister.

The older sister is not working and the younger one is a Grade 9 learner at Thistle Grove Combined School.

The sisters are greatful that the school is allowing her to learn without paying money.

The problem with their RDP house is that the house shakes and windows break during thunderstorms.

The foundation allows the water to flood the house when it rains.

Previous councillors were aware of the problems and tried to help, but to no avail.

The Department of Human Settlement was contacted last year.

They said recipients of RDP houses should lodge complaints within three months after the handover of the house by the contractors.

The Kinross ward councillor, Ms Rose Nkabinde, promised to look into the Shabangu sisters’ problem.

The sisters said she visited them with a man who took photos of the house.

Ms Nkabinde promised to attend to the matter to see if something can be done.

An angry resident said contractors are not ashamed of themselves for building poorly constructed houses, while they are driving expensive cars.

She also blamed Government for not having a proper process in place to ensure RDP houses’ foundations are built properly.

“Some houses are left unfinished when contractors vanish with the money and some are built on wrong stands,” said the woman, who further mentioned that none of the contractors who either did not finish the houses or were involved in corruption, has been arrested.

While everyone is still trying to find a solution, the Shabangu sisters pray that the house does not cave in on them.