Where are the beneficiaries of these houses? By Joe Mashilo

Sadly it is now nine years, and yet the beneficiaries of a number of houses can still not occupy their houses, simply because they are not completed by the contractor. The uncompleted RDP houses in Ext 24, Jouberton, Klerksdorp were built by the Matlosana municipality through the contractors. The question is why the construction of certain number of houses is not being completed, while the beneficiaries housing subsidies were approved by the provincial government? The other question is where did the money paid as subsidies go? A resident in the area, Tebogo Hlalele said “these uncompleted houses are used by Juveniles at night to perform criminal activities such as gang rape, and drugs meeting points and are a serious danger to people at night as criminal uses them for hiding”.
The houses built in Ext 24 are roofed with a tile, but according to a source who did not want to be mentioned by a name, she saw a group of people three months ago roofing some of the houses with corrugated sheets, but those houses are to date with no running water, toilet system, window glasses and walls not plastered. It is sad to discover that an RDP house worth R40,000 (Forty thousand rand) is lacking the things that I have just mentioned. One may ask where are the beneficiaries of those houses? Surely they are somewhere either renting other people places, staying with their parents/families, or maybe homeless. It is shocking to realize that they do not stand anymore chance to apply for other RDP houses anywhere in t he country because their RDP housing subsidies have been long approved. Our government is not treating its people equally, imagine that I have six years in my RDP house and what about the other person whose name has been approved on my neighborhood”, Said a neighbor to a house not completed.
The construction of the 3,000 houses in Ext 24 commenced in the year 2004, people started occupying houses in 2006; however many houses were not occupied by the rightful beneficiaries and this is a big problem today and evictions are on its way. The municipal housing officials were corrupt in the process, they sold houses which belonged to other people, in other instances people were given double allocation (two people on the same house). All the problems associated with the Ext 24 housing project clearly and squarely suggest that the Matlosana municipality is lacking the requisite skills in as far as the project management is concerned.