Welcome to ‘Mudville’

RECENT heavy rainfall has left homes at the Merlewood Mixed Income Housing Project flooded and the construction work which appeared to be unfinished now looks unstable and dangerous.

Describing the area as ‘Mudville’, residents are angry that they have to live in conditions which, they say, are for ‘the pigs’.

“It’s worse than dogs, we live like pigs,” said one resident, as she pointed to the two-bedroom homes perched on plains of muddy ground. Inside the basic structures there are no ceilings, some of the fittings have already broken and the floors are raw concrete.

“They keep saying they will fix things, tar the roads and even install electricity… but nothing,” said another resident. Residents are also often kept awake by graders operating during the early hours of the morning.

Since residents, including school-going children and babies, moved into the homes in December last year, they have had to survive without electricity.

“When it rains there is mud everywhere. We don’t have lights, we bath in cold water, can’t use a fridge to keep food fresh or even charge our cellphones,” said Zinhle Joyisa (19).

“We go to school and sometimes come home in the dark, and it is hard to study by candlelight. It is literally so dark you cannot see your hand in front of your face. When I get to school I smell of paraffin and my school shoes are caked with mud,” – Zinhle Joyisa (19).

She is deeply concerned about her matric year. “It’s very stressful… what about the many of us preparing for matric exams?

Zinhle said that she and many others suffer from asthma, due, they believe, to inhaling the fumes of the paraffin they are forced to burn.

Zolandre Dickens (22) said her child has been in and out of hospital with chest problems and allergies due to her inhaling dust from the concrete floors and the paraffin fumes.

“Breaking the legacy… ha! This is not much different from living in an informal settlement,” said one dissatisfied resident.

Simon April, spokesman for Hibiscus Coast Municipality (HCM), said the project was approved by the MEC on December 15, 2010. He explained that a tri-partite agreement, between the Department of Human Settlements KwaZulu-Natal, HCM and the implementing agent, was concluded on October 5, 2011

However, due to the implementing agent’s slow progress and inability to implement the municipal priorities, their services were terminated. The project has since been revived and housing units are built according to the approved 2010 specification, which does not include enhancements, such as ceilings and plaster.

To prevent vandalism, Mr April said the municipality, in consultation with the Merlewood community, had had to hand over existing housing units as soon as they were rectified/completed last December. Other work, such as  the completion of roads and the connection of electricity, were to continue post occupation. “The implementing agent has been notified regarding the floods; the stormwater installation will be prioritised,” he added.

According to Mr April:

* The ‘Merlewood Electrification Project’ is ready to be implemented, designs have been approved. The electrical engineers and the implementing agent are in the process of aligning the road construction and electrification programme since the electricity cables will be running parallel to the road.

* The project is adjacent to the settlement area of Merlewood wherein the level of services were to be aligned with the existing infrastructure services, which are higher than the minimum norms and standards. Construction of the road is scheduled to resume by the beginning of April 2016. All roads will be tarred on completion.

* The project was approved for 228 units, of which 66 have been completed. The balance will be built and completed as per 2010 approved specifications.

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