Housing tops list of complaints to Bhisho

SHODDILY built houses and the growing housing waiting list topped the list of complaints from Nelson Mandela Bay residents to Bhisho’s petitions committee this week.

Members of the committee spent two days in the Bay this week to get a first-hand account of the challenges facing communities in the metro.

Residents complained about houses that were collapsing, while others were angry that younger people were getting houses before them.

The visit was chaired by Mzuyanda Sokujika, who is the chairman of the chairpersons committee in the Eastern Cape legislature.

Sokujika said they held a meeting with residents in Uitenhage on Wednesday.

He said they had received 154 housing complaints and a few pertaining to concerns over education.

“People are complaining about shoddy work by contractors when building their houses,” he said.

“They were not properly built and roofs are collapsing.

“Others have complained about the method used to identify beneficiaries.

“For example, old people are telling us that they have been on the housing waiting list for many years, but have seen youth who applied for houses years later receiving houses.

“There were also complaints about houses not being built to accommodate disabled people.

“Someone using a wheelchair struggles to get in and out and sometimes you find out that the house has stairs.”

Eastern Cape Human Settlements spokesman Lwandile Sicwesha said the department was also involved in the community engagement sessions.