R83m spent and only one RDP house built
The Namibia Stop 8 Housing Project in Inanda, eThekwini, started in 2019, but to date only one RDP house has been completed. Residents say the construction company was on site from 2019 to 2020, but stopped because of the Covid pandemic.
According to eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Lindiwe Khuzwayo, the development comprises 500 serviced sites and 343 new housing units. She said R83m had been spent so far on roadworks, stormwater, sewers, platforms and foundations, water reticulation, and some top structures.
GroundUp reports that at the council meeting on 31 May it was revealed that R43m is needed to complete the project, according to the DA Human Settlements spokesperson and Member of the Provincial Legislature, Marlaine Nair.
She says no more money should be allocated without ‘a comprehensive report that addresses the project’s progress, challenges, and any potential irregularities’.
GroundUp found one road tarred for less than 500 metres, and the other roads gravel.
The stormwater system was incomplete. Some sewer trenches have been dug.
A total of 13 houses were at foundation level, and only one house was complete.
eThekwini Councillor Zamani Khuzwayo (DA) said the project was 51% complete and the new finishing deadline was December 2024.
Residents, who refused to be relocated, live in homes made of reused bricks and corrugated iron. Some residents built pit toilets for themselves.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
