E26m home for people with disabilities
MANKAYANE – All is on track for the construction of a home for people with disabilities, as government has injected E26 million towards this project.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s (DPM) Office is about to complete a state-of-the art home for those with disabilities, which is situated opposite the elderly home in Mankayane.
During a site visit this past Friday, contractors were seen moving about the premises, applying finishing touches. Upon close inspection, it was discovered that the home consists of 10 bedrooms, each of which is designed to accommodate at least two people.
Structures
There are also modern kitchens, bathrooms, two cottages at the front and other structures.
Work at the site is being undertaken by Matsapha Construction Services (Pty) Ltd. The site’s Manager, Ndumiso Mndvoti, even though reluctant to comment on the subject, said they hoped to have completed work in the next six months.
Pandemic
He pointed out that they were heavily set back by the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted construction until recently.
“There are just a few touch-ups that remain in the house, partly painting, filing of cabinets and part of the tiling. For that, I think we will need just a month to finish. The other aspect is applying paving to the road that leads to the home. This is likely to take much longer, which is why I predicted the six-month period,” he said. Mndvoti added that there was a period after the lockdown when they needed to wait for funds in order to be able to resume operations. He said in that period, they could not purchase material on time, which led to further delays. The DPM’s Office Communications Officer, Mihla Khumalo, said work was ongoing at the site. He said they would announce interventions as soon as the houses were ready for occupation. For now, he said they would allow the contractors to do their job.