Halted housing project raises ire
A L ONG- awai te d mult i mi l - lion-rand project in Munsieville, Mogale City, is in limbo after flaws were identified in its implementation phase – leaving disgruntled residents still awaiting their promised homes.
The project came to a halt last year after more than 200 slabs were “irregularly” cast on the site. The Star visited the project this week and spoke to several residents.
The provincial department said R1 364 839.49 had been paid to the contractor for the 211 slabs.
The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is said to have refused to enrol the project after anomalies were iden- tified. Spokesperson Molebogeng Taunyane was unable to confirm or deny the allegation as she did not have a project number.
However, Gauteng human settlements spokesperson Keith Khoza said work had been stopped after a council inspection.
“Due to the steepness of the area, redesigning of the internal and connecting roads is recommended by NHBRC and construction of top structure was stopped to facilitate this. Work is under way,” he said.
The development’s project office, which has four shipping con- tainers that are apparently empty, is manned by one security guard, who said he was not allowed to speak to the media.
The site is abandoned with overgrown weeds and no sign of any work. Shoddy workmanship is visible on some of the slabs.
The residents, who asked for their identities to be withheld, told The Star they had been told the project had been abandoned due to poor planning.
“These people worked into the night. How was such a rushed job to be quality? It was a rush job, there was no way that would have been quality work,” said one.
Another said the mention of the project had her blood boiling as it had been in the pipeline “for ages”.
Another said residents had been promised the houses two years ago when names of beneficiaries were enrolled. “We are in limbo, no one is telling us what is happening.
“This was just a campaign to get votes from us because immediately after the elections and they lost power to the DA, work stopped.”
In 2015, thousands of Munsieville informal settlement residents marched to the municipality demanding quality housing. A project signage outside the site, for the construction of a bulk sewer network, said the project was headed and financed by the Mogale City. However, approached for comment on the construction of housing units, municipal spokesperson Gregory Dalton said the project was headed by the Gauteng Human Settlements Department.
Khoza said the project was “initially called extension 5 but is now extension 9 and the community was consulted on the matter”.
A Star investigation has found that on May 17, 2013, Ultrasonic Express was awarded a R9.3m contract for the project. About R70m was set aside for roads and storm water drains construction because of the steepness of the area.