CHARL CILLIERS – The Govan Mbeki Municipality and Ms Smangele Ntuli, Ward 10 councillor, were under fire over the RDP house project in the area on Wednesday, 1 August during the Democratic Alliance MP’svisit.
Residents raised their concerns over the RDP house project which is expected to commence soon and said there is no transparency.
The DA conducted an oversight inspection of failed housing projects in Ward 5 and 8 in Lekwa Municipality and the Holfontein area in Govan Mbeki Local Municipality.
Ms Angel Khanyile, MP, Govan Mbeki and Lekwa Constituency Head, said the visit came after they received complaints from locals during the party’s campaigns that they are are living in undignified conditions and that the provision of sanitation services has collapsed in the area.
Ms Khanyile was with Mr Solly Malatsi, MP and DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Mr Mbulelo Bara, MP, Mr James Masango, provincial spokesman for human settlement, and other councillors.
They interacted with residents and they expressed that they feel abandoned by the government in the province which continues to deny them access to quality and dignified housing.
The residents said they are not happy with the work done so far because pipes have been installed already, but there is no sewer plants in the area.
They also complained about Ms Ntuli for allegedly being biased and giving jobs to her friends.
“I do not think the right procedure were totally followed in establishing this township.
“They have installed pipes already, but we do not have a sewerage plant in Charl Cilliers, we are using septic tanks.
“Where will the sewerage flow to?
“There is no transparency about the list of beneficiaries. We want to know who are the beneficiaries and the list must be made public.
“Locals are not given jobs, this is unacceptable,” said a resident.
Mr Malatsi said this should be blamed on the province’s former premier, DD Mabuza, because this happened on his watch.
“It’s an indictment on Mabuza that the people of Lekwa and Holfontein are forced to live in unfit conditions, trapped in poverty as the corruption-riddled ANC clings onto power.
“In Ward 8, residents complained about the continued manipulation of the housing beneficiary list, bearing testimony to the ANC’s indifference to the realities of the poor and their commitment to lining their own pockets.
“We cannot allow this critical process to be compromised as it leads to the rightful housing beneficiaries being overlooked for housing allocations.
“In Ward 5, residents have been allocated stands for more than a decade and, to date, not received title deeds. Others do not have toilets or water.
“In Ward 10, the construction of RDP houses is set to commence soon, however there is no official beneficiary list. Our people deserve nothing less than access to quality, safe and dignified housing.”
The Democratic Alliance wants the Govan Mbeki Municipality to be summoned to Parliament to account about the failed project in the area.
