cost houses
28 March 2008
Government will confiscate low cost houses that beneficiaries of low cost
housing programme are renting out while they themselves continue to stay in
shacks and in informal settlements, North West MEC for Developmental Local
Government and Housing, Howard Yawa warned residents of Marikana outside
Rustenburg on Friday.
Yawa was addressing residents at the hand over of the Marikana Emergency
Housing and Rectification project. The provincial department spend over R22,7
million towards reconstruction of 650 low cost houses in the mining settlement
after a devastating storm left 150 families homeless and 54 hospitalised in
November last year.
Though the completion of the project has brought relief to most residents,
desperation among some is emerging though the main contractor is still on site
for the next few weeks for minor final finishing touches.
Maki Mbekwa (53), a single mother of eight children and a grandchild summed
it as follows: "Government went the extra mile of extending the reconstruction
of houses affected by the disaster to rectification of all houses in our area.
Our houses are now reinforced and brighter. Those who are not happy are
ungrateful and have unrealistic expectations. They are influenced by some of
the sub-contractors for the project to continue so that they should continue to
be employed on the project. Those with unrealistic expectations do not belong
here among us, the poorest of the poor. They should move to suburbs and leave
us in peace."
According to Yawa, the emergency housing project provided 364 job
opportunities for locals and empowerment opportunity for 23 emerging local
contractors, 17 of whom were women contractors. He said that the empowerment of
emerging women contractors expands on R506 million that his department had
allocated for empowerment of women contractors for the 2008/09 financial
year.
"Though some of you endured harsh weather condition outside the comfort of
your homes during the reconstruction of your houses, you trusted and believed
in the African National Congress (ANC) government to deliver on its business
unusual: all hands on deck to speed up change pledge. Your participation in the
reconstruction programme in the spirit of Vuk'uzenzele accelerated the pace of
delivery." Yawa told the residents.
He also expressed appreciation to the provincial, district and Rustenburg
Disaster Management Centres for co-ordination of relief efforts and synergistic
partnership of government departments, the South African Council of Churches
and the Zinniaville Muslim Community during the disaster.
The MEC commented Toro ya Africa Consultants and the professional teams for
delivering the emergency housing and rectification project within the shortest
time possible. He said that the urgency with which they executed the project
demonstrated that they have understood and embraced government's pledge for
business unusual: All hands on deck to speed up change.
Yawa said that the pace of delivery of the project despite work stoppages
during the December builders break, festive season and heavy rainfall that was
experienced in the area in past two months has renewed the Freedom Charter's
pledge of houses, security and comfort for the community."
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 018 387 3814
Fax: 018 384 5426
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Developmental Local Government and Housing, North
West Provincial Government
28 March 2009
