RDP housing cut a blow to M’sane families

A MULTIMILLION-rand Buffalo City Metro housing tender to build 908 RDP houses in Mdantsane has been drastically cut to 266 houses, leaving hundreds, if not thousands, of residents out in the cold.

This was announced by BCM through a notice issued in the media by acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana this week.

In the advert published on Monday, Ncunyana said the installation of internal services and construction of RDP houses contract was amended following negotiations between the municipality and the Siyavuna Trading company awarded the tender.

The tender was amended after the municipality failed to complete site plans for the area where many of the new houses were to be built because of informal dwellings.

“The bid was advertised with the anticipation that some of the general plans would be approved before the construction stage could start, but that was not the case,” Ncunyana said.

“Relocation delays were experienced resulting in the works being suspended in certain areas. The contractor experienced delays as the implementation plan has to change drastically.”

The tender was awarded in 2014 to Siyavuna Trading at a cost of R163.7-million but, due to the new amendment, BCM has cut the budget to R62-million for the construction of 266 houses.

The project was scheduled to be completed in April this year.

Initially, 154 units were supposed to have been built in Sisulu, 336 in Winnie Mandela, 34 in Francis Meli, 105 in Hani Park, 91 in Mahlangu, 25 in Gwentshe, 75 in Mathemba Vuso and 88 houses in Daluxolo informal settlements – all located in Mdantsane.

However, BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi said construction would now cover only 109 houses in Sisulu informal settlement, 59 in Daluxolo and 98 in Hani Park.

This means that 642 families who were promised houses by the government will have to wait even longer than anticipated for their brick houses.

Cindi said a new tender would be advertised once all prohibiting issues had been resolved, although it was not yet known when the problems would be sorted out.

“Construction work was suspended at Winnie Mandela, Mahlangu, Mathemba Vuso, and Sisulu,” Cindi said.

Although the metro awarded the tender in 2014, Cindi said the issue of securing general plans for the informal settlements was still in progress.

Ncunyana has called on residents with comments or queries on the contract amendment to write to his office. —