Metro fails to spend R7.1m on new housing structures
● Families battling to rebuild two months after devastating fire
More than two months after a devastating fire destroyed 23 shacks in Walmer township’s Area Q, many people have rebuilt their homes while some families have had to separate and seek refuge with relatives.
Wheelchair-bound Thunyelwa Lukho, 43, was forced to send her nine-year-old daughter to live with her grandmother while community members helped her rebuild her shack.
Another resident, Thandiswa Xawuka, 49, and her husband had no choice but to move in with her older brother after the fire razed their shack.
They are among the 184 families in the metro who will have to wait until the next budget cycle to hear if they will get temporary housing structures from the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
This is because the city used the R7.1m that was given to it by the national human settlements department for temporary structures to “beautify open spaces” instead.
The money was meant to ensure that 130 temporary structures were procured for families hit by disasters – be it floods or fires.
The Walmer township families who were affected by the fire were, instead, only given two sheets of metal each.
They have turned to businesses and nonprofit organisations for help with building materials.
On Monday, municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said that 184 families in the metro were in need of temporary structures.
He also revealed that the money from the national government was used for “beautifying open spaces within human settlements areas”.
Xawuka said had they been given temporary structures they would have felt safer in the crime-ridden Walmer township.
“The crime is rife in Walmer. We are exposed because we live near the road and we feel our shacks are not as secure.
“We also need electricity,” Xawuka said.
Prior to moving into her brother’s shack, Xawuka lived in the local church for a week.
She would later visit the church for supplies and food.
“When donations arrived at the church we would end up fighting over supplies, which were never enough,” she said.
Xawuka is yet to move into her newly erected shack as the roof has holes in it.
She also has no furniture. Lukho, who was fortunate to have neighbours build her a new shack, said she would be happy to get a house.
She has erected a makeshift toilet from wooden crates.
“I have lost hope. We were told that we would get assistance with temporary houses, but nothing has been done,” Lukho said.
Acting municipal CFO Jackson Ngcelwane said the municipality could try to reapply for money for temporary structures, but it could be turned down as the grant had been used by another department.
“If I were the national department I would question why and how if I gave you money and the money was used for something else,” Ngcelwane said.
“What will you say when motivating in your application?
“The question is going to be around where are the structures if I gave you R7.1m?
“You can’t give the money to public health.
“Who gave you the authority because that was not your money and it comes with conditions – were they met before spending?
“This is serious,” he said. Ngcelwane said the money could have been moved legally had it been the city’s own revenue and not a grant that came with certain conditions
He confirmed that R7.1m was transferred into the city’s bank account.
One of the grant conditions was that the city apply its emergency deviation procurement systems to ensure immediate assistance to the affected communities.
But it never took off due to delays in tender processes.
Safety and security executive director Keith Meyer said the figures of how many fires had left people homeless were not available.
However, he said the department received more than 3,000 calls a month about fires.
A volunteer in Area Q, Julia Mbambo, said they had given up on getting temporary structures from the city and were now appealing to nonprofit organisations and residents for donations.
Mniki said there was nothing untoward about the city having moved the national government money to another project, adding that it had been authorised by the city’s bosses.
He said it would apply to the government for more money for the temporary structures, though there was no guarantee its application would be approved.
“The national department of human settlements must assess our application. They will then arrange for a site inspection if they so wish.
“Once they approve our application, National Treasury must concur as well. Only then will funding be disbursed.
“It is difficult to be specific about timeframes.
“However, the sooner we can provide immediate relief to families affected by disasters the better,” he said.