No budget to fix vandalised houses
HOFMEYR - Eluxolweni housing issues and other matters regarding the problems being faced by the people of Hofmeyr were raised in a special meeting with Oscar Mabuyane, Premier of the Eastern Cape, reports Andile Krwetshe, a representative from the HOYCO Association in Hofmeyr.
“The youth of this small town does not ask the government to refurbish the 100 RDP houses but request them to hand the houses over to us in their current condition. We are willing to renovate them ourselves,” states Olwetu Sintu.
“Sintu is a resident of Hofmeyr Ward 34 of the Enoch Mgijima Municipality under the Chris Hani District Municipality.
“Many families are destitute and depend on the rest of the community for a place to stay, whilst nearly 100 RDP houses are in a terrible state of disrepair due to vandalism,” reports Krwetshe.
“These buildings are now used by street children as meeting places.
“A shelter is a critical element of human dignity, therefore, we are pleading with your office to assist and intervene on our behalf,”
Sintu pleaded in his letter to the Premier.
Other matters that were discussed during the meeting was the toilet bucket system, water shortages, house allocation challenges, vandalism of unoccupied houses, crime, drug and substance abuse, unemployment, non-availability of municipal assistance, clarity on the next phase of housing delivery, the state of the Chris Hani Hall, an urban design framework for Eluxolweni and the non-existence of road infrastructure and poor drainage systems in Eluxolweni.
Other problems discussed were beneficiaries without title deeds and incorrect mapping of houses.
The reaction from the Premier was that there was no project approved for Ward 34 from the municipality and no budget allocated until 2022.
It was also suggested that all involved should work together with stakeholders making a housing list for beneficiaries for a new project.
The BCO will also be invited to Hofmeyr to do auditing of houses and beneficiaries. The date of the audit will be communicated to all stakeholders and the rectification of 251 houses will be made during the audit.