The 40 low-cost houses built in Atteridgeville Extension 19 with a budget of R5.1 million raised from the sale of a mayoral mansion in the City of Tshwane, would restore the human dignity of vulnerable people who include those living with disabilities.
This was said yesterday by Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink during the official launch of the mayoral housing project in the township.
The project was started after former Mayor Solly Msimanga spearheaded the sale of the mayoral house located in Muckleneuk suburb in 2017.
Brink said the official launch was hosted to complete the promise made by Msimanga who had undertaken to erect low-cost houses for the needy with the proceeds of the sale of the mayoral mansion.
He said Msimanga’s decision came under a lot of criticism from people who thought his efforts would not amount to anything.
“There were those who said we need a mayoral house, we need a guest house - a place to entertain people. And the previous mayor was adamant because this was what was in his heart to do,” he said.
Brink alluded to the fact that the project was riddled with delays and poor performance by contractors.
The deadline for completing the project was missed in October last 2019 due to poor workmanship.
In 2020, the houses were still unfinished with no roofs and windows while some were at the foundation phase with only slabs of concrete and bricks lying around.
Brink said yesterday there were many things the City still needed to sort out, “but I am delighted that we are now in a position where 40 people who are vulnerable who need special assistance have access to basic shelter and amenities which they didn’t have before”.
While conceding that the project was “indeed not perfect”, he remarked that he could see value for money in it.
The roads in the settlement were in poor condition and residents previously bemoaned the fact that they were impassable in the event of rains.
Brink said: “When you look at this road obviously the road is not perfect and many issues that we obviously see include more effective waste removal and storm water drainage and so forth. But this gives basic human dignity and basic shelter.”
MMC for Human Settlements, Ofentse Madzebatela, said the settlement consisted of 219 stands where the City was reticulating water, and providing sewerage as well as electricity.
He said 40 of the 219 service stands were set aside for people living with disabilities after the sale of the mayoral mansion to the highest bidder at an auction.
“Further to that, the remaining homes will be upgraded to top structures. We have agreed with the province to put this project in their business plan and they have agreed,” he said.
He explained that the plan was to have top structures where people would have service stands and not built houses.
The Star