Villagers thrilled at new RDP building plan

RESIDENTS of Nxarhuni village yesterday received a sneak peak inside a new proposed RDP house using Alternative Building Technology (ABT).

Building contractors and license owners of the ABT system, Sakhekhaya, together with the United Fibre Cement Company (UFCC) approached the Buffalo City Metro last year to build RDP houses for over 4 000 Nxarhuni residents who had signed a petition requesting the contractors to build them houses.

The metro then requested Sakhekhaya to build a “show house”, which they would evaluate before they could give them an answer. More than 1 000 residents of Nxarhuni attended the official opening of the show house.

However, no one from the metro was in attendance.

Ward 17 councillor Phumla Yenana yesterday confirmed that contractors had approached the metro to build RDP houses for the community.

“But the municipality cannot approve this as the municipality is dependent on the national Department of Human Settlement.

“They were asked to build a showhouse, and BCM and Human Settlements will then evaluate the house first.”

The Sakhekhaya contractor, Sipho Vananda, said 20 schools had already been built in the Eastern Cape using the same technology.

What makes the building system different from the normal brick and mortar house is that the ABT consists of a UCO flexboard (an autoclaved cellulose fibre cement flatboard), which is assembled and erected with a lightweight steel frame.

The core is then filled with a lightweight concrete mix.

UFCC chairman Sello Skgonyane said although the cost of building an ABT house was around the same as a normal RDP house, the ABT system had a number of advantages.

The system is not only faster – taking between two to three days to build – but the structure is also fire resistant, 100% asbestos free and stronger houses.

One of the community members, Bukelwa Mbambo, said she was pleased with the house and would be happy to have her own very soon.

“We do not want cardboard houses like those temporary shelters but strong houses like the one we saw today.

“The house is Mbambo.

Sakhekhaya said they were hoping to take some of the community members to train them how to build with the system so they could come back to their communities and build their own houses. — than normal RDP beautiful,” said