Vandalised houses to be ‘disposed of’

GRAAFF-REINET — As Graaff-reinet becomes more heavily populated, there is an increasing shortage of houses available to rent.

However, there are many houses in Kroonvale and Umasizakhe belonging to the Department of Public Works which stand empty and are being systematically vandalized.

Cllr Daniel Williams, a DA PR councillor from Graaff-reinet, is very concerned about this issue, and towards the end of August went to the local office of the Department of Public Works to enquire about the vandalized houses.

He was told that another department was on the verge of taking over the housing issue at the Department of Public Works. However, nothing appears to have happened in the last seven weeks.

In the meantime, more houses have been vandalized and the windows, doors, roof sheets and rafters have been sold by scavengers to members of the community.

“One wonders, how long will it take until the structures have been broken down and the bricks sold to the communities for next to nothing,” said Cllr Williams.

He finds it totally unacceptable that no one from the Department of Public Works' local offices can give any answers. In his view, this is an example of how so many state departments in the Eastern Cape have been mismanaged, as well as wasteful expenditure and waste of governmental budgetary funds.

In response to a query from the Graaff-reinet Advertiser, Mpumzi Zuzile, media liaison officer of the Department of Public Works, confirmed that the Provincial Government of the Eastern Cape owns seven houses which have been vandalised in Kroonvale and Umasizakhe.

According to Zuzile, the houses were offered to Provincial and National Government Departments. Since they weren't interested, it was decided that the houses should be disposed of “voetstoots”.

“A submission was forwarded in June 2017 to the General Manager: Immovable Asset Management to recommend to HOD the disposal of these houses in their current state through public tender or auction,” said Zuzile.

“The Region is still awaiting the approval of the disposal of these vandalised houses as recommended," concluded Zuzile. The vandalised houses in Kroonvale belonging to the Department of Public Works. Photos: Cllr Daniel Williams.