Department’s rural showcase gets the nod

AHUMAN settlements project in the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipal area has been voted the best rural housing project in the Eastern Cape.

The project is spread over the rural villages of Kwaaiman, Nothintwa, Mabehana, Twalikhulu, Twalimofu, Zidindi, Maqanyeni, Gojini and Nceduna.

The development housing project for destitute families in Mqanduli and Coffee Bay won the accolade of the Best Rural Human Settlements Development Project at the provincial Govan Mbeki Awards last weekend.

It will now compete for top honours at the national awards to be held later this year.

“These awards are a monitoring tool on human settlements development projects, provincial human settlements spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha said.

“The awards encourage excellence and good quality products and that benefits the communities,” Sicwetsha said, adding that the purpose of the award was to showcase work done by the department.

“The scope of the project includes construction of 594 40m² houses with external and internal plastering, insulated ceiling, tubing, 1m aprons roofs,” he said.

Sicwetsha said each household received a VIP toilet and 2 500l tank and tank stand.

Human settlements MEC Helen Sauls-August said the department had the bigger responsibility of ensuring its programme also responded to the triple challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment.

“The Govan Mbeki Awards afford us an opportunity to take stock of the gains we have made and measure the impact of our community development programmes.

“This year’s awards are a showcase of the successful projects implemented during the 2016-17 financial year.” painting, electrical and tiled

The awards were named after late anti-apartheid activist Govan Mbeki in 2006, based on the role he played as it concerned the preservation of human dignity and provision of housing for all, through human settlements projects.

The department has spent R74-million on the project to date.

Sicwetsha said the project won the award because it met all of the judging criteria.

This entailed the project being registered with the National Home Builders Registration Council while providing basic services, social and economic facilities.

“The project must improve access to economic opportunities and must use local labour and transfer skills, while also demonstrating innovation,” he said.

He said the province had done very well at previous awards.

“Last year alone, we won nine awards. Our rural project [Ebenezer] last year was ajudged second-best rural project in the country.

“We won the best enhanced people’s housing process with a project from BCMM last year,” he said.

The executive mayor of KSD, Dumani Zozo, together with the council, said they were pleased with the award; it was an indication of how the municipality cared for its communities by improving conditions as well as encouraging them to push forward as a department and keep providing services to the people. — ziphon@dispatch.co.za