Abram’s biggest dream is to live in the RDP house that he owns in eMzinoni

When his dream of owning a house became a reality in 2001 when he was given an RDP house, eMzinoni resident Mr Abram Shabangu was overjoyed.

However his joy was short-lived.

His RDP house, along with many others built by the same contractor, was far from the dream house he was told he was going to get.

Many houses built by the contractor were left unfinished and were not structurally sound, but were handed over to their new owners.

These houses were not ready to be moved into, but some owners had no choice.

Mr Shabangu contacted Govan Mbeki Municipality to ask why the house was not finished and was promised that the remaining work would be completed within a few weeks.

“I had nowhere else to go, so I moved into my new house.”

The contractor however never returned.

Incomplete houses

Residents were left with houses that had no flooring, had holes in the walls and roofs that were never secured to the structures.

“We had many problems and when the storms came, the wind blew off many roofs, the water flooded our houses and destroyed furniture and appliances.”

Many of the RDP houses in the area have been repaired by their owners who put heavy objects on the roofs and the holes have been filled with cement and sand.

The floors have been levelled with cement to avoid water from leaking into the structures when it rains.

The owners of these houses paid for these expenses.

Mr Shabangu has tried to complete his house by anchoring the roof to the walls, but does not have the means to level the floors and repair the walls.

All his possessions were destroyed when his house flooded the first time.

It has since flooded every time it rains and his house has become uninhabitable.

After coming to the realisation that the house was not safe to live in, he was forced to move into an already overcrowded house with family members.

Mr Shabangu has been in contact with Council since he received his RDP house.

Ms Marietjie Fourie, DA ward councillor, the mayor and the Provincial Housing Department were contacted to help him to fix his house.

He was told by officials he cannot complain about the house after living in it house for eight years.

Mr Shabangu is upset that houses that were meant to better the lives of those who received them, ended up being a burden to the community.

“There is no dignity when we have to live like this.”

His biggest desire is to live in his own house, a structure that keeps him warm, dry and safe.

Unless local government helps people in the same predicament to repair their homes, people such as Mr Shabangu will never be able to live with dignity.

Govan Mbeki Municipality did not comment.

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