Take action on hazardous sites

DESPITE the warnings, it was tragically inevitable. A life lost because of bureaucratic dithering over what had become an obvious deathtrap – teetering and half-built RDP homes in Motherwell quite literally on the brink of collapse.

That’s exactly what happened when a wall caved in and crushed a man.

It is an urgent but unattended issue stemming from unbridled maladministration and shoddy workmanship which has plagued RDP housing projects for years and been highlighted in this newspaper time and again.

Even duplex houses which homeowners had already occupied were so poorly constructed engineers deemed them unsafe and there were questions over whether the building plans of some had even been approved.

This deepening quagmire left in its wake incomplete and dilapidated structures which, unsurprisingly, have become a haven for vandals and vagrants – but, as it turns out, lethal turf for anyone to dare tread.

The victim of Tuesday’s collapse appears to have been collecting concrete blocks, but whatever he was doing on the abandoned site is beside the point.

It is outright hazardous and, having stood idle for almost three years, something ought to have been done about the perils long ago.

Quite apart from the danger of a falling wall, it is a refuge for criminals – the discovery of the body of a 14-year-old rape victim last month bearing testament to this.

The finger-pointing has already begun with head of human settlements Nqaba Bhanga saying the municipality has appealed to national minister Lindiwe Sisulu to sort the issue out. But a blame game is futile. There needs to be an immediate inspection of precarious sites – and even a thorough assessment of questionable housing developments which are occupied – and a solid plan put in place to eradicate any further threat to anyone’s safety.